Cellphone companies have made it easy to bump and share information, and that same technology called Near Field Communication, or NFC, could also help save a life.
In 2003, doctors diagnosed Angelo Pitassi III with diabetes.
"It's like taking your child home as a newborn for the first time," said Angelo A. Pitassi Jr., CEO of HealthID Profile, Inc.
That feeling inspired Angelo Pitassi Jr. to create HealthID Profile, or HIP, an online mobile health management system.
"We use first a cloud-based storage solution," he said.
Users receive a HIP code located on each HealthID product that they use to register. From there, they input all of their medical information including MRIs, EKGs and x-rays. Their unique HIP code is also printed right on their HealthID band or card.
With a simple tap, diabetic Michael Securo can instantly call up his medical information.
"I know if I go down, something happens, my sugar bottoms out, someone can get my information, have access to it immediately," said Securo.
The HIP cards and bands use NFC chips to quickly retrieve a patient's information and all come with a medical alert symbol to alert first responders.
"The phone actually energizes the chip. The chip goes out to the cloud-based service and displays the information on the phone," said Christopher Melo, CTO of HealthID Profile.
If a first responder does not have an NFC device, they can simply go to www.healthid.com and enter a person's HIP code.
HealthID says they follow HIPAA guidelines and all of the medical information is securely stored. The NFC band costs $24 and the card costs $20.
