USB device provides access to potentially life-saving data

The so-called MyCare Card can plug into a laptop’s USB port, enabling the medical data on it to be accessed in just a few moments.

If a card’s owner is taken ill or is involved in an accident, paramedics can retrieve the card from his or her pocket or handbag and use the data to gain instant access to a full medical history. As well as using the data to inform their on-the-spot decisions, paramedics can phone key information ahead to a hospital if necessary.

‘When dealing with a medical emergency, patients may be unconscious or unable to communicate with paramedics for some other reason,’ said Prof Panicos Kyriacou of City University. ‘Our device makes potentially life-saving data easily accessible. For example, it’s vital to know whether a patient is allergic to latex. If they are, the use of latex gloves by a paramedic might be fatal.’

Although patient-held electronic health record cards have been trialled in some parts of the world, the MyCare Card is claimed to have a number of unique features.