I was recently giving a talk on traveling with PH, when someone asked “What happens if I am traveling somewhere or in a car wreck, and I pass out and no one knows I have PH or what medications I am on”. This is something I’m guessing most people with complicated medical conditions or medications fear when they are away from home or their medical team. However, I don’t fear this anymore due to my medical bracelet and Backpack Health.
Most people with medical conditions have some sort of Medical ID, which holds vital information either as necklaces, bands, or bracelet, like so:
Typically, the medical ID is customized with a medical emblem that has your name, your condition, and maybe some other information regarding your care. Most medical IDs allow only four lines of information, limiting them to 19 characters per line. This does not leave much room for all your information that may be necessary during an emergency. However, my medical ID bracelet contains all information necessary for treatment - my Backpack Health website and access code.
Backpack Health is a free app available on iOS and android, as well as a website, that lets you store any relevant health care information you wish to keep in your profile.
You can input your conditions, symptoms, allergies, procedures, blood work and any medications you are currently taking just to name a few things you may want to have in your profile. I personally keep a list of all of my medications, allergies and medical diagnoses. I have also uploaded my medical documents such as past echocardiograms, cardiac catheterizations and cardiac MRIs.
This is not meant to be an advertisement for Backpack Health, this is something my family found after I visited a hospital during an emergency and they wanted to run unnecessary tests because they could not access my medical information. Since then, I make sure to keep my Backpack Health profile up to date so I never run into that situation again, and in case of emergencies.
What is nice about the Backpack Health app is that you can create different profile cards that you can share, including a health history card and an emergency card. In my emergency card I have my blood type, medications list, allergies, medical conditions, and other vital information. The emergency card comes with a specific URL address and a specific access code. The contents of the card are safeguarded by this access code and is asked for when you type in the URL.
Which brings me back to my medical ID bracelet. On my ID bracelet I have my name, my primary health condition (PAH), and the URL to my emergency card with my access code so it looks similar to this:
This way, if I were unresponsive and needed immediate help, someone would know to check my medical ID bracelet and could follow the instructions to the website.. When the website is accessed, this screen pops up where you would enter the access code:
Once inside, all the information I entered for Backpack Health emergency card to access all my necessary information.
Why I always use this when traveling as well, is that the app, and all my personal information, can be instantly translated into a number of languages online with just one click. There is no worry that a doctor abroad would not understand what condition I have, what medications I am on, and what treatment I would need in case of emergency abroad.
Backpack Health app and their emergency cards allow you to have all the information on your phone and within just a click of a website. This is a modern upgrade to your medical ID that is helpful when traveling and everyday life. I can not imagine why anybody would not want to have it and have this information right at your fingertips at all times. Check out Backpack Health here and download the app here. For customizable medical IDs (bracelets, bands and necklaces) check out https://www.americanmedical-id.com/ or through Backpack Health’s website you can purchase StickyJ bracelets.
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