Emergency Medical Identification is a system that alerts physicians and emergency medicine personnel of a health condition, medical history, or other factors that may impact emergency medical services. More than 100 million people are admitted to an emergency room each year in the United States. Many of them are unconscious or otherwise unable to communicate to the physician. As a result, the physician may lack important information on other medical problems the patient may have, such as diabetes, which must be taken into consideration when providing care. With the proper information, for example, physicians can avoid giving medications that could interact adversely with other medications a patient may be taking.

One of the first emergency medical identification systems was developed by Dr. Marion Collins and his wife, Chrissie Collins. In 1956, the Collins's daughter nearly died after suffering an allergic reaction from a tetanus shot. As...