Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...

"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."

Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."

Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI

“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.

Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017

“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”

Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD

Doctors & patients are saying about 'Beat Your A-Fib'...

"If I had [your book] 10 years ago, it would have saved me 8 years of hell.”

Roy Salmon, Patient, A-Fib Free,
Adelaide, Australia

"This book is incredibly complete and easy-to-understand for anybody. I certainly recommend it for patients who want to know more about atrial fibrillation than what they will learn from doctors...."

Pierre Jaïs, M.D. Professor of Cardiology, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Bordeaux, France

"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Wilber Su,
Cavanaugh Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ

"...masterful. You managed to combine an encyclopedic compilation of information with the simplicity of presentation that enhances the delivery of the information to the reader. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have been very, very successful at it."

Ira David Levin, heart patient,
Rome, Italy

"Within the pages of Beat Your A-Fib, Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD, provides a comprehensive guide for persons seeking to find a cure for their Atrial Fibrillation."

Walter Kerwin, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Smartphones: Emergency Medical ID Info Access, No Passcode Required

Published July 21, 2026

Early cell phone users were able to list critical medical condition information (such as Atrial Fibrillation) as an “In Case of Emergency” (ICE) contact in their Contacts folder. But today’s smartphones are passcode protected. So, is there a work around for today’s smartphones? Yes!

Smartphone Can Still Offer Emergency Medical ID

In an emergency—if you are in an accident, fall ill or unconscious—your smartphone can still provide your critical medical information such as medication you are taking (i.e., a blood thinner or anticoagulant), your known allergies, and your blood type.

You can set up your smartphone so that first responders can access this information without needing your phone passcode. As they say…there’s a app for that (or built-in) on your iPhone or android phone!

iPhone Medical ID access button

Apple iPhone

The Apple iPhone has this feature built directly into the iOS Health App under the Medical ID section. After you enter your personal medical data and other facts, you can toggle “Show When Locked”.

Your keyboard will then display a “Medical ID” button to reach your preset medical information. First responders simply press the button.

How to: For step-by-step instructions for an iPhone, go to Set up your Medical ID in the Health app to learn how.

Android Smartphone

Android smartphone Medical ID access message

To add this emergency medical info feature to Android smartphones, you have several options depending on the specific phone.

• For Android phones, go to Settings and select “Emergency Info” or “Medical”. (For the Google Pixel phone, use the dedicated app called “Safety”)
• Or, you can download the free Medical ID app from the Google.com app store.

Watch the video: To make setup easier, you may want to watch a how-to video:

• How to Create a Medical ID on an Android Device (Did You Know?) from BridgingApps (2:12 min)
• How to Set Up Medical ID on Android (Samsung Galaxy & Google Pixel) by Quick Tutorials (1:56 min)

Setup it Once and You’re Prepared

Whether you are using an iPhone or an Android smartphone, and whether you are using a built-in feature or downloading an app, either way you are prepared.