Most of us have seen–or know someone who relies upon–medical alert key fobs or pendants that incorporate a USB drive to hold medical history and alerts. Here is an article from this month’s (December) Annals of Emergency Medicine that maintains that they are useless. At least here in the US, emergency departments (ED) will not permit outside USB drives to be plugged in to ED computer workstations for malware reasons, and that even if they could be, software incompatibilities would rule many out. Less clunky, more pleasing medical ‘jewelry’? Tough for EMTs and ED staff to find. Your best bet may be a simple card with key information in your wallet, and/or put it in your cell phone. Or a combination of card and PHR as provided by a company like miCard. Hi-tech medicalert gadgets raise questions–but low-tech works. (scroll to bottom of page to start)
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USB Medical Records
There is another major disadvantage to any record that is on any media, paper, USB, CD etc. How do you keep it up to date? Secure, cloud-based records are the only way to go. Always up to date, access and updating available to multiple parties, never a worry about TTDs (Technology Transmitted Diseases).
[Ed. Donna: John Boden is the founder of ElderIssues LLC : founder of a geriatric care management company in Florida, Personal Care Managers; past president of the Florida Guardianship Association. He is developer of the LifeLedger, a web based PHR system that also provides a wallet card. ElderIssues is a founding member of Agetek, the Aging Technology Alliance, a US-based aging technology consortium.]