iOS 13.5 Will Automatically Share User Medical Information During Emergency Calls

Sometimes during a medical emergency, you might not have the time or the capability to provide relevant medical information to first responders, such as allergies to certain medications, history of health issues, what kind of meds you are on, and so on, but Apple is hoping to change that.

According to the company, with the upcoming iOS 13.5 update, users who dial 911 for medical emergencies will be able to share their medical information automatically. This is done by sharing information stored in Medical ID, which for those unfamiliar is a feature within Apple’s Health app that lets users store relevant medical information like any pre-existing conditions, allergies, medications you’re on, blood type, food allergies, and so on.

What happens is that if you’re in an area where Enhanced Emergency Data services is supported, when you make that call to 911, it will utilize the system to share your Medical ID information. This means that first responders and doctors who are treating you will be able to know what the issue is and how best to approach the situation.

Prior to this, Apple also had another Medical ID feature that allowed users to display their Medical ID information on their phone’s lock screen that can be accessed via an icon, thus giving first responders the ability to check on your history without you having to unlock your phone in the event that you are incapacitated.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Medical
Tags: Health, iOS, ios 13, Privacy