Researchers from the UK’s National Health Service have discovered an unexpected advantage of the growing popularity of contactless payments: a decline in the number of children presenting at hospitals due to swallowing coins.
In a paper titled "Coin-cidence? Have cashless payments reduced the incidence of upper aerodigestive foreign body insertion," the authors examined the correlation between the increase in contactless payment usage and a decrease in foreign body (FB) retrieval procedures related to the alimentary tract, respiratory tract, and nasal cavity.
Analyzing UK Hospital Episode Statistics from 2000 to 2022, the researchers found a "statistically significant" reduction in FB removal procedures following the decline of cash payments in 2012. Specifically, the number of alimentary tract FB removal procedures decreased by an average of 27.78 per year (p < 0.001), while respiratory FB removal procedures dropped by 4.83 (p = 0.009), and nasal cavity FB retrieval procedures saw a decline of 52.82 per year (p < 0.001).
According to the researchers, coins are responsible for over 75% of swallowed foreign bodies in children under six years old. A review of endoscopies indicated that 66% of ingested foreign bodies were coins, primarily due to their small, round shape and easy accessibility.
This reduction could lead to significant cost savings for the NHS, as estimates suggest that foreign body removal incurs expenses of approximately £2,880,148 annually.
The authors note that while the observed trends are likely influenced by a combination of factors—including changes in public health policies, educational initiatives aimed at children and parents, and shifts in population behavior unrelated to payment methods—there is evidence suggesting an association between the rise of contactless payments and the decline in upper aerodigestive tract FB retrieval procedures.