The importance of carrying medical identification
Will I have a heart attack today…a stroke…a diabetic coma…a seizure?
Most of us never ask this question simply because we cannot answer it.
Additionally, most of us would prefer to go about our day without such worry.
Asking that question, however, is an important step in moving us toward
preparedness for the possibility of some unforeseen medical event.
In truth, most of us live, work, and play without a thought to the
possibility of a catastrophic medical event. Imagine you are shopping alone
in a place distant from your home area and you collapse with a stroke,
rendering you disoriented and unable to speak. Far from home, bystanders
call paramedics who take you to an unfamiliar hospital. As your treatment
begins, paramedics and hospital personnel ask questions, trying to gather
more information about you, but are hindered by a lack of background
information. Good health care relies on gathering and using information, so
the EMT’s search you for identification.
What do you carry that would help paramedics and emergency personnel
understand your unique medical background and help further your emergency
care? How would hospital personnel learn quickly that you have a loving
husband and daughter who know everything about you and who need to be with
you in this circumstance? Most of us carry nothing in our wallet aside from
a driver’s license that would offer more than our name and address. Do you
have any health problems, medications, allergies, emergency contacts, or
health care directives? Most of this information is crucial to good care and
unlikely to be located in our wallet or purse.
In the absence of such information, hospital personnel are required to make
assumptions about you as they look for more information. Is this patient on
blood thinning medication? “Unknown, so we’ll have to test for that”.
Has this patient had a prior stroke and when did the symptoms begin?
“Unknown, and since we don’t know all of this we might be taking extra
risk in offering certain stroke treatments”. This uncertainty leads to
delays in treatment, errors in treatment, and changes in treatment based on a
lack of knowledge.
The solution to better preparedness for an unforeseen medical event begins
with information. Carrying personal medical identification is a simple means
of ensuring your emergency care is delivered more quickly and with more
accuracy. Although emergency physicians and paramedics are trained to
operate with a lack of information, they can deliver better and more accurate
care when given the necessary information.
How would I know what information to carry? Carrying any information is a
good start. However, a new product on the market was designed around the
above scenario and was specifically created to bridge the information gap.
The Aging with Grace Personal Health Record, powered by miCARD® , an
information solution designed by an emergency physician, incorporates a
readable medical identification card with online storage of additional
medical information, images, and advanced directives.
The Aging with Grace Personal Health Record is organized around those key
pieces of information most necessary in an emergency. It is designed to be
noticed in your wallet or purse and displays: emergency contacts, medical
problems, surgical history, medical power of attorney, medical devices,
critical medications and critical allergies. Additional information stored
online includes advanced directives, EKGs, Lab test results, and personal
notes for providers. Furthermore, the Aging with Grace Personal Health
Record system allows physicians and personal care home staff to communicate
observations or concerns to potential receiving hospitals through an online
form termed miCARE notes™. To learn more about the Aging with Grace
Personal Health Record, please visit their website at www.agingwithgrace.net
or call 800.626.9440.
