Medical info tags give you peace of mind

Q: I’ve never seen any recommendations as to what conditions warrant wearing medical ID bracelets or necklaces, nor what the inscription should say. When are they either necessary or beneficial?

A: Medical ID tags can be useful. They serve to alert medical personnel of potentially important medical conditions when someone is not capable of providing that information, whether due to temporary incapacity (such as being unconscious in a motor-vehicle accident) or permanent disability (such as intellectual disability).

In my opinion, the most appropriate use of these tags is when there is a potentially life-threatening medical condition that would not be obvious to emergency medical personnel. Some examples of these would include anaphylactic reaction to medications or latex; the presence of an illness that could cause temporary disability (epilepsy, diabetes, Addison’s disease); and medical conditions that might affect the use of common treatments, examples being bleeding disorders, organ-transplant status and medical implants (such as implantable defibrillators). Personal and contact information is a natural set of complementary information to have on a medical tag.

Some newer tags include electronic information, but this is in its infancy. These include the use of near-field technology to let emergency personnel read the information (if they also have the technology); phone numbers that emergency personnel can call to get more information; and QR codes to allow emergency personnel with a smartphone to go to a webpage with more detailed information. Most smartphones also have the ability to store information that can be read in an emergency, even by someone without the person’s phone password. I recommend taking advantage of this feature.

Many of the ID tags I see have information that is not likely to be helpful. Listing chronic conditions such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, for example, is not necessary.

One of the biggest benefits of a medical ID tag is a little peace of mind.

— Dr. Keith Roach Readers may email Dr. Keith Roach questions at toyourgoodhealth@med.cornell.edu.