How does Tap2Tag Medical alert work with the Epilepsy community?
Living with Epilepsy is difficult and challenging. It is a condition that can be diagnosed at any time during your life and shows itself in many different forms. It's a neurological condition that affects the brain and the resulting seizures can have a dramatic impact on someone's life. One seizure does not define someone with the condition and the seizures come in different forms too. Sometimes you may not even know if someone has had a seizure!
Each day an average of 42 people learn that they have epilepsy in Canada and affects 0.6% of the population. Around 75-85% of cases are diagnosed before the age of 18. The good news is that in 50% of childhood cases disappear completely with time. Whether you are diagnosed early or later in life the impact of epilepsy will have some life changing effects. Fortunately there are a number of treatments available that can help reduce seizures including anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), surgery to remove a small part of the brain that causes the seizures, inserting a small electrical device in the body that can help control seizures and a special ketogenic diet. AEDs are the most common form of treatment and help over 70% of those with epilepsy. It's not a cure but can help stop seizures from happening.
A newly diagnosed patient with epilepsy will often be treated by a specialist consultant and epilepsy nurse. If AEDs are the primary course of treatment then a medication regime is determined and the results monitored. It's not an exact science and often dosages need to be altered or a completely different medication regime introduced until seizures are reduced to a minimum.
WHY IS TAP2TAG MEDICAL ALERT IMPORTANT?
When newly diagnosed with any new medical condition it is likely that the medication you have been prescibed will change over time. With epilepsy, and a regime dependent on AEDs, that medication could change dramtically and more frequently than other conditions. So it is important that you are able to record your medical history and medication. Of particularly importance is the need to be able to share that information with medical personnel in the event of a medical emergency.
At Tap2Tag we believe that you should take control of your medical information and be allowed to determine what you disclose at the appropriate time.
HOW DOES TAP2TAG MEDICAL WORK?
We sell medical wristbands, cards and key fobs. Each device comes with a special chip inside it. For our newer devices each product also comes with a QR code too. A paramedic or first responder simply taps their NFC enabled phone against the device and your medical information appears. There are no apps to download, the information simply appears on their phone's browser.
DEVICES AND PROFILES
When you buy a Tap2Tag device you need to register it at our website. Every product comes with a unique code and once registered only you can control it. A profile is the type on information you want to attach to that device. Currently you can create medical, pet and connect profiles on your account. However you can only assign a medical profile to a medical device. This ensures that you cannot accidentally assign your dog's profile to your important medical wristband!
A medical profile is an extensive list of information about you and your medical information. It's exactly the kind of information a paramedic needs to treat you quickly. Here are just some of the pieces of information you can share.
- Name
- Medical history
- Medication
- Next of kin contact information
You can even include scanned documents within your profile such as care plans, hospital passports or copies of your prescription. It's completely up to you how much information your want to share. We also have a system we call Traffic Lights. This means that every piece of information in your medical profile can be controlled by you and this determines who can see this information. Green data means it pops up immediately on the paramedic's phone. Amber requires the first responder to login to get to more information about you and Red (Cross) is data you only want authorised medical practitioners to see. We even have a fourth category called Black Padlock, which only the account holder can see. Useful if you want to store a copy of your health insurance policy.
WHY IS TAP2TAG MEDICAL DIFFERENT TO THE REST?
There are two simple reasons. There is no other system in the world that offers this level of comprehensive data storage and gives you ultimate control over that information. The second is that our Tap2Tag Medical Alert service does NOT REQUIRE A SUBSCRIPTION. You can use the most comprehensive medical alert system in the world without needing to pay a subscription but, for some limited services, we do need to make a small annual charge. You can still update the information as much as you like. It's part of our mission to provide the best service possible to those that need it. It's a life saving and life changing product that already benefits thousands of people.
WHO SHOULD YOU BUY A TAP2TAG MEDICAL DEVICE?
Anyone with a complex medical condition would have been advised by their health professional to purchase some sort of medical alert device. If you have been newly diagnosed or living with epilepsy then it is vital that you and other healthcare professionals can access your medical information quickly and efficiently. Costing from as little as CAD$9.99 for a wristband this could give you the peace of mind.
"Since I have had my bracket I have not thought twice about going out on my own, I do everything that I used to do and my life is starting to go back to normal- and this is all thanks to Tap2Tag. Just knowing that people would be able to get information about my condition and the best way to help me if anything happens has really put my mind at ease!" - A Tap2Tag Epilepsy user
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
There are a number of communities that can give dedicated advice to those with epilepsy. We have listed a few below.
We are very proud of what Tap2Tag Medical Alert has become since we launched it in 2014. It has saved numerous lives but also changed the lives of many more.