Your medical record is at the core of your membership, holding your medical details. It can be accessed by first responders via our 24/7 emergency helpline, by quoting your membership number, which is engraved on your medical ID jewellery along with your most vital information. The emergency helpline will retrieve key additional information from your record including medications, specialist clinical details or important medical documents. 

What should I include in my medical record?

A starting point could be to think about “what important medical information would I want emergency medical professionals to know if I could not communicate the details myself?” This helps to put boundaries on the amount and relevance of information. Making sure your medical record is up to date and completed accurately with sufficient details will ensure that the proper information is provided. By documenting it, you are recording it for future reference and this, in turn, will benefit you when every moment matters.

Remember: we will have your GP details so your full medical history could be obtained from them if necessary.

Clear, succinct, well organised records are important in providing a base of information which is easy to understand. Usually, there is great variability in the format of entries given and made by members but our inhouse nurses review your records and will often reformat or may contact you for clarification.

We try and set out records in a standardised, consistent structure and layout and they may contain a wide range of material. So, when your record is accessed by the emergency helpline and MedicAlert staff they will immediately be able to locate medical information. You will have noticed we ask for main medical conditions, medications, allergies and you can store any important medical documents such as:

• Care plans,
• DNARs,
• Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatment,
• Lasting Power of Attorney,
• Hospital Discharge Summaries,
• ICD ID cards.

We usually avoid the use of abbreviations, as unconventional or unfamiliar abbreviations could lead to confusion and might be ambiguous. For instance, PID could mean ‘prolapsed intervertebral disc’ or ‘pelvic inflammatory disease’: clearly two very different conditions. If they are used, it is usually on jewellery and they are always consistent with medically approved and recognised British abbreviations.

Should I include all my medications and what details do you need?

It is usually best not to include dosage or frequency of medications. There are several reasons for this but remember your latest prescription can be obtained from your GP and many of our members carry their prescriptions on their person.

Include your main medications. Again consider what medication would be important for emergency medical personnel to know that you may have taken.

MedicAlert is a community of members, all of whom live with a wide range of health-related issues ranging from hypertension and cancer to rare conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. We support all of our members, no matter what, through providing 24/7 emergency access to their medical records in emergencies, ensuring the most efficient, reliable and accessible route for medical professionals in times of need. 

If you would like to talk to one of MedicAlert's Registered Nurses, get in touch today!

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