None of us plan on having an emergency….
…like suddenly collapsing in the shopping mall or on a business trip, or being involved in a car accident. And when it happens it usually catches us and everyone around us unprepared. Helpless even. At times like this you trust the paramedic to do the right thing – quickly. Your life depends on it!
If you were involved in an accident, how would paramedics know who to contact? what medication you’re on? your blood type, allergies, etc? A medical bracelet is too small to carry all of this information, and an emergency number on your phone can be unreliable or difficult to find. ALL of your vital information needs to be instantly available, if it’s going to be of any assistance in your moment of need.
You need an emergency ID.
DataBankCard Systems thru their Infomedic.org website has just launched their new iMedic® online emergency ID system, claiming it to be “more immediate than an ICE number on a cell phone, more informative than a card and more effective than a medical alert bracelet.”
With a bold claim such as this are the folks at infomedic claiming that the “in-case-of-emergency” or ICE number on cell phones concept is not what the chain emails have made it out to be? Apparently they are.
Warning that by depending on an ICE number one can be “left out in the cold”, many that have followed the re-assuring advice of trusting an ICE number or even a medical alert bracelet, are going to be challenged into rethinking their positions.
I spoke to local representative Marq Dempster and asked him to whom the service was aimed.
A: The iMedic® Emergency Medical ID card system is not only for people with a medical condition. Anybody that would like the peace of mind of knowing that their emergency info is always available and readily at hand should carry one. But those that have an allergy or are using special medication for anything whatsoever, or that has a medical condition that a paramedic should be made aware of, are especially encouraged to register. You may even have a medical condition that does not require medication such as glaucoma, but is affected by other medications; sufferers from asthma, diabetes and epilepsy would also be well served by having the attention of medics drawn to this.
Q: I am basically a healthy person and have no allergies, wouldn’t it be ridiculous for me to carry an iMedic® card?
A: Not at all! It’s not only people with ailments that have accidents! Remember that we are living in an age where terror attacks are now so commonplace that it hardly gets the attention that it used to. Remember the Tsunami and how suddenly it turned healthy people into victims? If you were ever involved in an accident or other calamity and needed medical attention, vital information can instantly be retrieved should you ever be in need of identification. The iMedic® card is more than just a card, it’s a full information backup service, invaluable to travellers.
Q: Aren’t there other organizations out there offering a similar service?
A: Yes, there are those that offer medical awareness bracelets or similar jewellery, but none that offer the full three-level service and an online database as offered by iMedic®.
Q: Why a card and not a bracelet?
A: Bracelets are good, especially for drawing the attention of a medic to an allergy, but that is about all the info that a bracelet can give. What about your blood type? this information is critical in an accident situation where the victim is experiencing blood loss. What medications, if any, is the patient taking?
Q: But I have an “ICE” number on my cell phone, surely that’s all I need?
A: Contrary to several chain e-mails, “ICE” is not something that Paramedics will rush to look for the instant they arrive at an emergency. The ICE concept is basically a better-than-nothing idea, but it comes with its own drawbacks. Firstly, your PIN number has to be de-activated and your phone needs to be with you, turned on and accessible to anybody at all times. This could however be a problem; your phone could be mislaid, or stolen even. Another thing to bear in mind is that the person listed as your “ICE” contact may not be available in your moment of need, or may be out of range. You or they may be travelling, or on a plane. Their phone may even be turned off! Hopefully it’s not you that’s left on Ice!
Q: OK, but why the need for a database when a card holds so much more information on it than a bracelet? Is there ever any need for even further information?
A: Yes there is a need. Although a card can hold most of the critical information needed in an emergency, certainly more than is provided on a bracelet, further background information could be invaluable in instances where the patient is still unconscious or unable to speak on admission to a hospital, especially when a friend or loved one is not able to provide the necessary information required by admissions personnel. It is at a time like this that hospital staff can log into infomedic and immediately retrieve the further information they require, sufficient to compile a complete file on the patient.
Q: But can’t that info be obtained from the contact person named on the card?
A: What if the primary emergency contact provided on the card is otherwise unavailable – or even if he or she was injured together with the patient at the time of the accident? Up to two further contact names and phone numbers are available on the database plus other medical background information; in other words, the card holds all of the critical information needed on the spot, while the database supplies other vital information – if required – later.
Q: With the availability of today’s hi-tech gadgetry, surely there’s something smaller that can hold all of the information in one go?
A: Sure, but no matter what electronic device you use it always requires a reader! Even a simple mag stripe needs to be swiped! Imagine if you loaded all of your critical and vital info onto a smart card or even into a USB memory stick; the paramedic would need access to the reader for that specific card, or a computer or laptop in which to insert the stick. What if you’re lying there bleeding while the medic frantically asks those gathering around you if anybody knows how to retrieve the information on the smart device that you have?
Why subject yourself to that risk when all the information can visibly and legibly be stored on a card the size of the cards that we all carry. Not only that, but a paramedic would always search for a person’s emergency information in his or her wallet before looking elsewhere. Isn’t this where we keep our drivers license and other identifying documents? It’s the logical place to look.
Get the full story at infomedic.org www.infomedic.org
