American ambulances virtually always put the patient stretcher on the left or center-left, and the crew bench on the right. Patients, barring special circumstances, are transported headfirst and face up. Likewise, really sharp ER nurses and docs learn to approach patient beds on the patients' typically weak side, for various reasons. Anything they do, like take your pulse or blood pressure, or start an IV, is more likely going to direct attention to your left arm, where the medic-alert can be noticed.

It is unlikely that we would go digging through your purse or wallet for medical information. Medical alert bracelets are good, as are necklaces, especially those that stand out and don't try to look like jewelry. The latter are sometimes missed. Florida has a program that lets you voluntarily list 2 emergency contacts keyed to your DL number, and rapidly available to law enforcement.

Jeff