Wearable Devices Give First Responders Instant Access To Medical Data Via Smartphone

By Joel Lindsey

A new line of medical devices, created and launched recently by the British company Tap2Tag Medical, could provide a quick and convenient way for paramedics and first responders to access critical medical information during emergencies.

Tap2Tag Medical’s line of products includes small wearable and portable devices in the shape of wristbands, fobs, cards the size of a credit card, and small stickers. Each of the devices uses near-field communication (NFC) technology, a mode of wireless communication that transmits radio waves over a very short range, typically of about an inch. These signals are exchanged between a device initiating the communication — typically a smartphone — and some target from which the smartphone receives its data — in this case, a Tap2Tag Medical device.

According to the company’s website, nearly all smartphones will be NFC-enabled by the end of 2014, possibly allowing the Tap2Tag devices to become compatible with a wide variety of commonly used cell phones.

“Tap2Tag Medical is a new application of technology, designed to help first-responders and paramedics gain instant access to critical medical information in an emergency. Anyone can potentially benefit from Tap2Tag Medical. However, for those with a known medical condition, the elderly, or anyone taking prescribed drugs, it is particularly vital,” said a statement published on the company’s website.

“In an emergency, for example when someone collapses, after calling the emergency services any passer-by or neighbor with an NFC-enabled mobile phone can ‘tap’ the patient’s device. With a couple of clicks they can gain instant access to information which the wearer has chosen to disclose.”

According to the company, the devices would contain such information as the patient’s name, a list of allergies, ongoing medical conditions, medications a patient may require, date of birth, blood type, organ donation status, and more. Once an emergency is confirmed, the devices could also be used to send messages to healthcare providers, family members, or caregivers.

“No data is stored on the device itself. Each tag has a unique code, against which information is stored on a secure website,” the company said. “The user controls (and updates as necessary) all data and chooses what, and what not, to include.”

Tap2Tag Medical’s new NFC devices have so far been launched in England, but the company says the devices should work anywhere in the world, as long as there is access to the Internet.

Image credit: Tap2Tag Ltd.