Paramedic Explains How a Built-in Smartphone Feature Can Save Lives

Check medical id

Island EMS advanced care paramedic Holly Noel, who is also the education director with the Paramedic Association of P.E.I., has said that any clue is useful when paramedics are dealing with a medical emergency, including some basic identifying information that may be found on the patient’s smartphone (via CBC News).

iPhones and most Android phones all have built-in features that allow users to display information like their name, age, medical conditions, allergies, medication and emergency contacts when the phone is locked. However, Noel said that most people don’t realize such a feature exists and that it can potentially save their lives during a medical emergency.

“Any clue that can help us that day is fantastic — and could potentially be life-saving,” she said. “Maybe they’ve had a fall and are unconscious and we don’t know that they’re on a blood thinner, and that changes things quite dramatically.”

Noel said being able to call someone who knows you is very helpful.

“Somebody we can call and say, ‘Do you know this person? They have you listed as an emergency contact. Are you aware of any medical conditions?'” she said. “And maybe it’s something as simple as, ‘Oh, yes, they have a seizure disorder. Wait five or 10 minutes and they’ll come of it.”

In order to set up the info on your iPhone, simply open the Health app and click on medical ID to fill out the information you want to have displayed. And if you come across someone in medical distress with an iPhone, you can find this info by tapping their home button, choosing Emergency and then Medical ID.

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