Contents: Tags | Where to look | Wallet Cards | ICE on phones | SmartPhone and tablet apps | Interactive online | What information to supply | Where to order

"Medic Alert" ID tags now come in a wide variety of styles that first responders should all be aware of. Medical IDs, bracelets (wrist, ankle), necklaces, running shoe pouches, watch inscriptions, tattoos,
Note: Some of the silicone bands have the information on the back or an ID/PIN on the inside which can be used to access information online.
See Brenda Bell's Emergency Medical IDs page for a more complete list. keychan

Where to look for Medical ID tags:

Also keychains, arms & legs (tattoos), tags on pack bags, wallet cards.
Some companies provide stickers for drivers licences to direct medical personel where to look for more information.
The Next of Kin Registry (NOKR.ORG) provides a sticker for your drivers license.

Free ID Wallet Card at medids.com

The card provided by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Admin doesn't look like a med-id card.

Do it yourself (DIY) wrist bands:

I made my own with a Slapee watch ($5 at Walgreens) and a sharpie. I cleaned it with acetone and fine sandpaper, but the sharpie still smears if you rub it hard enough. I'm looking into paint, embossing with a soldering iron or something else.


Mobile Phones and Tablets:
ICE (In Case of Emergency) entries in the address/phone/contacts book on cellphones and ICE apps on smartphones and tablets are another place to check.
I'd recommend several entries: e.g. ICE-husband, ICE-friend, ICE-doctor.

Android (Droid w/ verizon) phones with version 2.1 or later have an ICE entry at the top of the phone or contacts list which takes three phone numbers with a note to indicate who is the contact for each.

Later versions of the iPhone have voice recognition which you can ask to "call ICE" (one word, don't spell). Hold down the home button at the bottom of the phone for a couple of seconds to bring up voice recognition.

Some phone manufacturers are allowing access to ICE information without having the password for a locked phone.

Apps:
iPhone: ICE Apps: AppGuide, ICE (4+), ICE: In Case of Emergency (4+), smart-ICE (4+), EMT ICE
Android: ICE (4.5), E-emergency (4), My Health Records (3)


Medical id bag tags can be placed on pocketbooks, tote bags, belt packs, backpacks, slings, and pockets, which may contain glucometers, inhalers, epi-pens, glucagon kits, and tagged or untagged pill bottles.

Brenda Bell says, "Many people who live with a chronic medical condition prefer one of the new styles of identifier that look stylish, rather than the traditional "Medic Alert" style. These range from contemporary jewelry styles to highly artistic tattoos.
Medical First Responders need to be aware of these."

They are not just for people with chronic conditions. They are recommended for anyone who travels, exercises, shops, ... alone. They should have things like your doctors phone number, birthdate, emergency contact, medications, allergies, ...
See The Basics of Medical ID Bracelets. Also, "pretty" IDs that don't look like medical IDs (e.g. Laurenshope.com) and medical tattoos.


ID's with links to data services:
Some companies provide 24/7 access to your Emergency Response Profile (ERP) by calling an 800 number going linking to a web site on your smart phone and giving the serial number and pin on the back of the bracelet.

Road ID Interactive $20 + $10/yr 800 345-6335
MedicAlert $45/yr 800 625-3780
DocuBank $45/yr 800 362-8226 *
          Xtreme Sports ID $5/yr
TextID
            MedFlash $20/yr * Information will be faxed back to you

Medical Alert tags using Microsoft® TAG 2D barcode
to store your data in the barcode.

The Next of Kin Registry (NOKR.ORG) is a non-profit volunteer organization service to store your emergency contacts, next of kin and vital medical information, which provides a sticker for your drivers license.
Create a NOKR Emergency Registration Card
NOKR Emergency Contact Registry 1-800-915-5413

USB Flash memory sticks - plug into the USB port on computers. Sometimes called a Portable Personal Health Record (PPHR) or Emergency Health Record (EHR). They could go on a keychain, necklace or wallet card.
The data file is in an ASCII text format which can be accessed without special software.
They can also contain images of EKGs, MRIs, X-rays.

911 Medical ID - Auto loads on a Windows PC.
MedFlash Personal Health Manager (PHM) comes with or without online service.


What your Personal Health Record should have:
  1. Condition: Diabetes, BP or HTN (Blood Pressure/Hypertension), CV (Cardiovascular - Heart condition), A-fib, V tach, EpiPen, Asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), CHF (congestive heart failure), CVA (cerebrovascular accident/Stroke), Seizure, Dementia, Cancer, ...
    - Dates of significant illnesses and hospitalizations.
  2. Allergies: e.g. NKA (No Know Allergies), Penicillin, Sulfa, Bee stings, Peanuts, Shellfish, ...
  3. Medications (Meds): See Meds under health
  4. Name and Contacts: Your name, Personal contact, Doctor
  5. Date of Birth (DOB) - optional
  6. Copies of your living will (advance directive) and durable power of attorney for health care, if you have them.
  7. Lab test results
  8. Dates of Imunizations
See "Make your health information personal", Harvard newsletter, March, 2010
Links:
The Basics of Medical ID Bracelets
What to engrave on a medical alert id at:
  Sticky Jewlery, Lauren's Hope, MedIDs.com and American Medical ID
Acknowledgement: See Brenda Bell's Guide to "Finding Medical Alert and Emergency Medical Information" for more information. I used it as a guide to find most of the above.
In case of emergency - Wikipedia
"Make your health information personal", Harvard newsletter, March, 2010
Emergency apps for your phone or tablet.

Emergency Services Access

  • MyRoadID Call 800-345-6335 or go to www.myroadid.com and supply the Serial# and PIN on the bak of the tag.
  • ICEdot ICEdot - icedot.org/PIN Enter PIN (on bracelet. upper or lower case) and your email. They will email you access code. Or, get the ICEdot app (iPhone only as of 2/2014).
    Or text 5-10-20 or 1-918-373-9989 to get the member profile.
    Demo PIN: RM3WL4QU

Sources of ID tags:
RoadID: Original | Interactive
ICEdot (icedot.org) | ICEdot | My Account
Medical ID Bracelets Necklaces and Emergency Medical Information Services by MedicAlert Foundation (medicalert.org)
Medical Alert ID Bracelets Necklaces & Medic Jewelry (americanmedical-id.com)
Medical Alert Jewelry, Medical ID Alert Bracelets, Free Pocket ID (medids.com)
Personalized Jewelry, Medical ID Bracelets, Keychains, Lockets, Pendants
Xtreme Sports ID
Lifetag Medical ID jewelry and products (lifetag.com)
SOS - Medical Alert box on Michigan drivers license

Sample Wallet Card:

Print one at medids.com

Return to Emergency

last updated 23 Jan 2014