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Your Portable Medical Information Kit
by Patti J. Ryan, Last updated: July 9, 2026
I’ve updated this page with the newest examples (with links to each) of how to carry your personal medical information with you, but it all starts with knowing what information you should compile.
When you have A-Fib and you’re taking a blood thinner or other medication, you may wonder if you should carry an emergency I.D. card or wear a medical bracelet.
According to a paramedic with 25 years of experience, emergency measures to stop bleeding such as compresses, tourniquets, etc. will be used whether or not the paramedic knows one has A-Fib and is taking a blood, thinner like Coumadin or the newer Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) like Eliquis and Xarelto.
But, in general, it’s a great help to emergency personnel if you carry one or more forms of emergency medical ID. The author of The Patient’s Guide to Heart Rhythm Problems, Dr. Todd Cohen calls it a “portable medical information kit”.
What Should be in Your Emergency Medical Information ‘Kit’
This is an excerpt from Beat Your A-Fib: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Cure, by Steve S. Ryan, PhD (page 20).
Information to Carry with You:
In his book, The Patient’s Guide to Heart Rhythm Problems, Dr. Todd Cohen recommends carrying a “portable medical information kit” with the following information:
1. Full name and date of birth
2. Medical conditions
3. Implantable devices and materials
4. Allergies
5. Medications (and dosages)
6. A copy of a recent ECG
7. Contact information (family, your doctor, and your Health Care Proxy agent)
Type up the information, print, and trim; add a copy of your most recent ECG, then fold to fit your wallet or purse. Add a label, “In Case of Emergency” (ICE).
Print a Free Medical Alert I.D. Wallet Card
To help you make your medical ID, we have two Free online sources for printing your own wallet cards.
• Printable Emergency Medical ID Card (in PDF format) from AllFreePrintable.com
• Emergency Contact Card (in PDF format) from American Red Cross
Use the PDF form online to enter your information. Then, print, trim, fold and add to your wallet or purse. (Or print the blank form and fill-in by hand).
Tips to Consider:
• Laminate your wallet card to prolong its use (an office supply store can help you)
• Print a medical ID card for each member of your family
• If you choose a medic alert bracelet with limited space, add the message “See wallet card,” and carry a wallet card with all your medical details.
Additional Ways to Carry Your Medical Information
The most obvious ways to carry your medical information with you is with one of the many styles of Medic Alert IDs bracelets and necklace pendants. These can be made from different materials like waterproof foam, leather and stainless steel.
If you carry a paper-based or digital day planner or calendar, add the same information to your address book. Include an ‘ICE’ contact, i.e., “In Case of Emergency” entry with your emergency contact’s name, phone numbers, email address, etc. and your vital medical information.
For the Jogger or Walker: A shoe tag or pocket with your emergency contact info can be attached to your laces. For cyclists and others who wear head gear, a Medical ID sticker can be attached to your helmet.
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USB Flash Drives: There are many tech solutions to carry your medical information. A specially labeled USB flash drive with it’s large storage capacity means you can carry much more information than the conventional medical ID bracelet. Variations include credit card-style wallet cards, bracelets, keychain fobs and pendants.
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Smart Phones: Today’s smartphones are passcode protected, but owners can use a built-in “Medical ID” feature or an app to allow first responders to access pre-loaded medical information without need for a passcode.
Other smartphone users have paired their phone with a medical bracelet, for example, to display their medical information.
QR Bar Codes: Another type of medical identification alert uses QR (quick response) barcodes which are machine-readable optical image codes that can be added to a wallet card, pendant or keychain fob. To access the information, a smartphone scans the QR code, then links to a web service with the individual’s emergency information.
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Remember to Update Your ‘Kit’
Whichever methods you use to carry your emergency medical information, don’t forget to review and update the contents regularly especially when you change doctors, start (or stop) medications or have a medical procedure. (And don’t forget to update your family members’ “kits”, too.)
No matter what medical conditions you are managing, knowing you and your family are carrying up-to-date medical information gives you a little bit more peace of mind.
Patti J. Ryan supports all aspects of A-Fib.com—ever watchful of too much medical jargon and when necessary translates the terminology into everyday language. She is also publisher of Beat Your A-Fib: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Cure by Steve S. Ryan, PhD (BeatYourA-Fib.com), an Amazon.com Top 100 Seller.
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Last updated: Thursday, July 9, 2026
