35 Million U.S. Residents At Risk with Atlantic Hurricane Predictions; Are Their Medical Records Safe?
July 07, 2009 // Franchising.com // St. Petersburg, FL -- With hurricane season upon us, more than 35 million Americans are at risk for Atlantic hurricanes, and potentially so are their medical records. According to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, there is a 70 percent chance of having nine to 14 named storms, of which four to seven could become hurricanes.
While many lessons were learned after Hurricane Katrina, according to health officials, U.S. residents should not forget the simplest one: patients should be well-advised to take on basic record keeping of their personal health records since so many physicians' records were washed away forever. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on hurricane and disaster preparedness, "it is important for health care workers to have a simple and reliable way to learn information about past and new health concerns for people receiving help." Enter eMed-ID, the world's first medical identification franchise, providing consumers with a Personal Health Record (PHR) USB device that will expedite emergency responders treatment of trauma victims or those unable to communicate by offering immediate access to medical information that helps consumers avoid life-threatening delays in treatment, medical or surgical complications, allergic reactions and medication errors. The portable PHR USB device, utilizing eMed-ID's proprietary software, comes in a variety of options, including wristband, credit card style and keychain.
eMed-ID offers consumers who purchase the tax-deductible eMed-ID package for $69.95 a PHR USB device, four eMed-ID caregiver cards, two eMed-ID In Case of Emergency (I.C.E.) refrigerator cards and a bound report. In addition, eMed-ID is the only medical identification product that also provides customers with an optional legally-binding healthcare surrogate, HIPAA release and living will. eMed-ID also partners with the "Silver Alert" program, modeled after "Amber Alert," to help protect an increasing number of citizens with cognitive impairments.
"With the hurricane season just getting started, we are strongly encouraging residents in areas at risk to consider adding a personal health record to their hurricane preparedness checklist. Many lives could have been saved during the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, if the disaster victims would have had an eMed-ID PHR responder device. Our goal is to prevent that from happening again." said Lonnie Helgerson, CEO, eMed-ID Franchising, LLC.
Once customers receive their package, the process is simple in that all they have to do is complete the forms, send back in the self addressed envelope and within a few days receive their PHR. The PHR USB can be read by any computer with a USB port and can easily be securely updated by the patient at any time.
Additional consumers in need of an eMed-ID PHR USB device, includes the 2.5 million people injured in traffic accidents per year. In the most recent report from 2006, this statistic represents the leading cause of unintentional injury and admittance to an emergency room in an unconscious state, according to the Bureau of Transportation. Also, as reported in the Journal of AHIMA, consider the average time it takes to track down a traffic accident victim's family members and obtain their medical history with notification typically ranging from more than six hours to two days.
"We've all heard talk about the national electronic health records system that will be developed in the next few years," said Helgerson. "Consumers need eMed-ID for the here and now to ensure they are receiving the correct treatment in any type of disaster or when they are unable to speak for themselves."
About eMed-ID
Headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL, eMed-ID is the world's first medical identification franchise specializing in assisting consumers with their Personal Health Records (PHR), Electronic Health Records(EHR) and other medical products and services. The home-based, low cost franchise offers consumers a simple solution for documenting their confidential medical history on an easy-to-carry or wearable USB device. The franchise chain currently has 20 franchisees operating in six states including Florida, Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, Indiana and Montana with another 280 contracted for development.
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