Technology – helpful, usually

I’ve been reading about the E-HealthKEY from MedicAlert.  The new key is basically a little flash drive that can connect to your computer, or to most computers with a USB port.  The advantage of course is the multitude of things you can do with a computer, such as printing emergency cards for your wallet, track medications or fitness goals, include personal reminders and alerts, and so on.

Of course, much of this you can do anyway.  Even with a traditional MedicAlert system, you can sign up to have your information stored online for your doctor to access.  And all technology has its limits.  The computer you’re using must have a USB port (not everyone has one, trust me).  If it’s not running Windows XP (which, believe it or not, many computers don’t have), you may need to take the time to download drivers from the internet.  Just last week I had trouble doing this on a Windows 98 machine.  And, of course, there has to actually be a computer handy to use.

Now of course hospitals should have access to this kind of equipment in many countries.  And many people will find the programs and information storage that comes along with the E-HealthKEY to be convenient enough to be worth the extra cost.

It’s important to be prepared, but make sure that you think through the benefits and limitations before making a purchase.