The Year's Most Lifesaving Resolution: Update Your MedicAlert

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 19, 2012) -

Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release.

A lot can change in a year, including important information about your health, which is why MedicAlert is urging its members to review their medical profiles and make necessary changes. A resolution that could save their life!

According to advanced care paramedic Blair Bigham ACP, MSc, two important factors when responding to an emergency are time and accurate information. While the MedicAlert 24-hour emergency hotline delivers on time (providing paramedics with access to a patient's full medical history within 5 seconds flat), the readily available information may not be as valuable if it's out of date.

"During an emergency, when seconds count, we need to gather information as quickly as possible in order to determine the best course of action," says Bigham. "MedicAlert can provide crucial medical details almost instantly - what type of medication a patient is on, if they've had recent surgery, emergency contact information and so on. However, this information is only useful if it's up to date. The more up to date the information is, the more useful it becomes."

In order for information to remain relevant and useful, members should review their MedicAlert record frequently, confirm its accuracy and make necessary changes as they come up, including:

• Medication:
  • Certain medications might conflict with others causing potentially fatal results - it's crucial for paramedics to know what medication you are on. An update is necessary if you've stopped taking a medication, are taking a new one or if the dosage of your current meds has changed.

• Health Condition:
  • Health conditions improve or get worse over time. An update is necessary if your health conditions change.

• Emergency contact information:
  • Emergency contacts or their phone information may change. The unique MedicAlert Family Notification service directly contacts your loved ones immediately after paramedics call the 24-hour hotline. It's important your emergency contacts know MedicAlert has their information on file and that their phone numbers are accurate.

Update your MedicAlert records!

Visit www.MedicAlert.ca and click on Update or call 1.800.668.1507 to review your information with a trained medical specialist. It's that simple.

About the Canadian MedicAlert Foundation

The Canadian MedicAlert Foundation is the largest membership-based registered charity in Canada and has been the provider of emergency medical information services to more than one million Canadians for 50 years.

While there are a number of medical ID devices on the market, only MedicAlert is supported by a unique 24/7 emergency hotline service staffed with medical professionals ready to provide information and recognize conflicting treatments and medications that could put your care at risk.

The Foundation's services include electronic health records, a state-of-the-art secure database, a 24-hour emergency hotline for EMS personnel and customized identification products. Learn more about MedicAlert, how it works, and how you or a loved one can become a member at MedicAlert.ca or by calling 1-866-679-3166.

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