Sources Medical Information in a Flash By Ronale Tucker Rhodes, MS D octors asking for medical histories from their patients are often met with blank stares. The problem is that many patients don’t keep medical records, and if they do, they don’t carry the records with them. But current technology could make it much easier to log and store medical data. USB flash drives are all the rage right now, and they are becoming increasingly available and affordable as more and more manufacturers introduce them to market, providing ready access to medical histories whenever and wherever they are needed. Size Matters Frequent travelers, athletes, as well as individuals with chronic conditions, often wear medical ID bracelets or tags that attach to clothing in case of emergency. But while those items are convenient because of their size, they don’t provide much more information than a name, address, emergency contact and phone number. Flash drives, on the other hand, ranging in size from a dog tag to a credit card, bracelet, necklace or one- to two-inch handheld device that can be placed in a pocket, can store between 64 megabytes (Mb) and 1 gigabyte (G) of information. Information Overload These small devices are computers; they allow for the storage of thousands of items, including data and images. Examples of the types of items that can be input include contact information, doctor visits, medical conditions, medications, allergies, living wills, donor cards, lab tests, X-rays, EKGs, MRIs, CT scans and insurance information. Privacy Protection Key to these devices is making them friendly for both the individuals whose information is being stored and for medical personnel whose access can be restricted to 44 December-January 2010 www.IGLiving.com IG Living!