Did you know your phone has the ability to help first responders get medical treatment to you faster—even when your phone is locked? That means if you’re unconscious, your phone can literally speak for you: your allergies, medications, medical conditions, emergency contacts, even organ donor status.
As a hospital chaplain, when I’m called to the emergency room to locate the patient’s relatives, the first place I go is your Medical ID, and here’s the truth—in my fifteen years of chaplaincy, I have rarely seen someone who cannot speak and has no family present actually have this feature filled out.
So instead of immediately helping the medical team, I’m often searching social media, matching last names, trying to find someone—anyone—while doctors are treating you without the full picture, and if you’re out of town when this happens, in a hospital you’ve never been to, the medical team is left hoping you’re not allergic to anything—all because a five-minute feature wasn’t completed.
Still not convinced? Okay, imagine this.
I’m out of town, working out at a gym I don’t normally go to, I hit my head and lose consciousness, and if my Medical ID isn’t filled out and the medical team sends me for a CT scan with contrast to locate internal bleeding, my throat immediately begins to close, because I’m allergic to iodine…well, actually, I’m allergic to everything that comes out of the water.
In that moment, I don’t just go from unconscious to unstable—I go from unconscious to possibly dying, and the medical team has no way of knowing that unless it’s already in my phone.
All of this could have been avoided if I had taken five minutes to list my medical conditions, allergies, and other critical information, and even better, my emergency contacts would already be there so doctors could immediately reach my family instead of guessing.
Let me show you how quick this really is.
Apple users: go to your Health app and fill out your Medical ID, then make sure you turn on “Show When Locked” and enable sharing during a 911 call, because if your local 911 system supports Enhanced Emergency Data, your medical information can appear on the dispatcher’s screen, your location is also shared, and your emergency contacts can receive a message with your location.
Android users: go to Settings, type “Emergency information” in the search bar, tap Edit, and enter your information.
This feature exists for one reason: to help you when you can’t help yourself, so if you have a senior in your life, set this up for them, because when this information is available, treatment happens faster—and you become one less person I have to search for while doctors are trying to do their job.
One last thing—keep this information current, and once a year, on your birthday, open your Medical ID and make sure everything is still accurate, and when your medications change, update it, because standing in line at the pharmacy is the perfect time to do it.
This feature has the power to save your life, so become a JICIR member to access free resources, because five minutes today can change everything tomorrow.
I want to challenge you to live prepared—just in case it rains.