Medical ID Goes Digital – Here’s Why QR Codes are the New Medical ID Bracelet

I’ve been blogging about medical conditions recently and the benefits of being able to quickly share the details of your illness and what to do when you’re having an ‘episode’ with bystanders who would not otherwise know what to do.

I suffer from a medical condition called supraventricular tachycardia. It’s something that affects my heart rhythm, and can lead to me experiencing a considerably raised heart rate, sometimes up to 190 beats per minute, as well as shortness of breath and other symptoms.

The trouble is, when I have an episode, I find it difficult to contend with lots of questions. The last thing I want is to have to explain what’s going on and what people can do to help. That’s why I created the medical condition QR code. It’s a sticker I’ve got on the back of my phone that I offer up to anyone who happens to be panicking when I’m in man-down mode.

All they need to do is scan the code, and there they have all the information they need to quickly understand what I’ve got, what’s going on, and what they can do to help me.

The thing is that there are lots of medical conditions that a medical QR scanner could help with. I know that a lot of people carry medical IDs. This is basically a piece of jewellery, such as a necklace or bracelet, that’s engraved with the likes of medical conditions, food and drug allergies, prescribed medication and emergency contacts.

There are lots of reasons why people wear these IDs... from Alzheimer’s to diabetes, from rare diseases to epilepsy, from kidney failure to pulmonary and heart conditions, hypertension and sickle cell anaemia, and from allergies to mental health, learning disabilities and other special needs. Some medical IDs are engraved with blood type too.

“95% of paramedics and first responders look for a medical ID during emergencies”

In a survey of emergency medical professionals ranging from first responders to paramedics, it was found that over 95% look for a medical ID during emergencies, and more than 75% look for one immediately upon assessing a patient.

Medical IDs are recommended by the NHS, the Alzheimer’s Society UK, Allergy UK and Epilepsy Action UK.

The benefits are many, especially in situations where patients are unable to speak. Medical professionals are better able to give a prompt diagnosis and the appropriate care when they have vital facts in front of them.

According to Verywell Health, the most common places for paramedics to check for medical information is about a person’s body, in a wallet or purse, and on a mobile phone. But if there was an incident at home, they might also look on the fridge or front door.

Medical ID jewellery has been popular for quite some time. But the thing with this type of ID is that it’s not dynamic. In other words, you have it engraved, and that’s that. So if your condition changes, you start new medication or your next of kin contact details change, then you’ll need to go ahead and get a whole new piece of jewellery engraved.

And in the time it takes to do that, what if there’s a medical emergency?

Medical alert jewellery is only effective when it reflects accurate, up to date information about your current state of health. And that brings us back to the medical condition QR code.

QR codes are easily updated in an instant. All you need to do is login and make the necessary changes, and your code will immediately reflect the most up to date information. No need to reprint the code, and definitely no need to have a pricey piece of jewellery remade.

The other valuable thing about medical QR codes is that if you’re abroad and there’s an emergency and someone needs to look up your health information, when they scan your QR code, they’ll see the information in their native language. So there’s no need for them to spend time translating from your static piece of English language medical ID jewellery.

Do you or someone you care for have a medical condition that would be easier shared with a medical QR code?

Ban.gl medical QR codes can be a valuable tool for sharing medical information in an emergency. Dynamic and easy to update, the codes will always display your current medical information, and will never have to be re-engraved, unlike medical ID jewellery.

Need to know more? Contact us. We understand from our own experience with medical conditions how this help could safeguard your well-being.