I carry a keychain USB drive with "important documents" encrypted on it. I have a medical information file on it but it is encrypted also. My question is, would it be practical to have a medical info file available for EM use. Do most reponders carry a laptop to access it? Would it be practical to label the drive for "medic alert" use? Just wondering.

You would probably be better off w/ a laminated card in your wallet w/ any pertinent info - medical conditions, allergies, current medications, name/number of your PCP/Doc - These are the items I'd want to know right off when an EMT/Medic brings you in (If I needed more info, I'd get your Doc on the phone from the ED) You should be able to put that on a business-sized card & keep it w/ your ID.

Accessing a USB drive, while possible, probably not terribly practical or probable in an emergency setting.

Sam

It might be useful for an Emergency Room/Department situation rather then in the field. The fact that we do not have lap tops (other jurisdictions might – so it might be worth checking locally) nor the time, I would suggest going the route that Floatsam has suggested with a laminated card (although many times the wallet goes with law enforcement before we get to see it) or better yet, if you have a specific medical condition, a MEDICAL ALERT item (bracelet, necklace, watch charm, etc.).

Pete

Medic Alert USB

Medic alert has begun a branded program that works similar to the necklace/bracelet system. I can't tell from the pictures if the ER will have the information needed to call if they don't have USB.

I carry the info card that Flotsam suggests, but it has on it in BIG BOLD type, MORE INFO ON USB DRIVE. I carry my Living Will on there, along with enough contact info to choke a mule.

I can speak for our response units. We would not have any way to read your usb device. I think in the future it will probably be used more often. And as others have mentioned in the ER more than it the field.

We don't have any computers onboard, and the medic squads we run with don't either. I'd suggest that any encrypted files would be useless to us, even if we DID have a computer with an open USB port and the software to read it.

We look for medic-alert bracelets, anklets and medical alert tatoos (e.g. PACEMAKER - DO NOT DEFIBRILATE")

One more thought on this. I'm I fireman and we run as a rescue (not medical) squad. Car wrecks, falls from cliffs, boat wrecks, confined space rescue, trench collapse, construction accidents, stuff like that. I'm also a firefighter, but we do far more rescue work than firefighting in our district. We're not "Medics" we're "First Responders" and the paid EMT's and Paramedics are on-scene too. But we're the ones who are there first - as we like to say, if we were there any sooner, we'd have to wreck the car for you.

When I roll up to a car wreck, there's a number of things that go on - in this order - this all happens, often, in a matter of seconds - but not always.

a) what has happened?
b) is it safe for me to get and be near the patient?
c) what needs to be done to prevent further harm to the patient?
d) do I need more help to proceed safely?
e) what is the current condition of the patient?
f) what is the most immediate threat to the life of the patient that must be addressed?
g) what curative steps can I take to save the life of this patient?

Only much later do I care about things like medical history, name of the patient, or anything like that. At that point, we've started cutting you out of the car, or we've begun to package you for transport to more advanced care.

Sure, if you're epileptic, that's good to know, but if you have a gear-shift embedded in your gut, we don't really care too much about your epilepsy at that moment or if you take Lipitor. We want to make sure you can breath, your blood is circulating and that you don't get MORE injured as a result of anything that happens AFTER your car wreck, fall, whatever.

The medic squad takes it to the next level - they administer drugs, do ventilation and more, as needed. Aside from informing the ER by radio that we have a patient "taking X miligrams of Such and Such, and Y miligrams of So and So" I've never seen them really that concerned with the medical history of the patient on the scene - but they do look for medic alert tags and such. But it tends to be informational not curative.

Thanks for reminding me about that half of my intended reply, Martin- You encrypt files to keep people from looking at them. Medical facilities aren't going to have the resources, time, money, skill or interest to beother to crack you data. And even if you tell them to look, if they don't have the key, it's gibberish.

If you want them to be understood by any computer, plain, basic TXT files are best, even after 20 years, with PDF and basic HTML with JPGs and GIFs your next options if you feel that you really, really need to have photos.

agree with the laminated card best.........usb drives are the latest fad......great idea, but everyone is not used to looking for them yet............i know this last statement will be both loved and hated, but i'm still waiting for the DNR forehead tatoo to catch on..........