The medical data revolution?
Medics will have instant access to vital information
A web-based medical information resource, designed to help the emergency services gain access to vital health information with ease, will launch across the US in 2010.
For $5 per year, invisibleBracelet.org (iB) allows users to register the health and emergency contact details that will help ambulance crews shave valuable minutes off diagnosis time. It will automatically alert up to 10 loved ones via text message or email if an emergency occurs.
Following the same concept as bracelets used by diabetics or asthma sufferers, emergency services are notified of membership via a card, key fob or sticker.
The iB is currently used by around 100,000 people out of the two million who live, work and travel through Oklahoma and is accessed by the American Ambulance Association (AAA) - the largest emergency service in the US.
Docvia, the company behind the iB, claims that the register is “as secure as online banking” and adheres to strict American confidentiality laws to ensure that only registered medics have access to the information - and only for a short period of time.
With performance data yet to be published, it is difficult to ascertain the effectiveness of the system. However, in order for the concept to work, it is vital that the card holder keeps their personal information up to date.
The register is to launch across the US from March 2010, with the AAA training staff in other states to use the system. The concept could conceivably expand worldwide.
"The ultimate goal is an electronic medical record for everyone, available no matter where they are", Dr Andrew Bern, a board member of the American College of Emergency Physicians, stated.
In the UK, many GPs are providing patients with online access to their records as part of the electronic patient record system currently being implemented by the NHS.
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