Man uses USB device, program to store vital medical information

Aiken resident John Decker created a USB device that stores patients’ medical information and documents for easy access during an emergency. Staff photo by Anna Dolianitis.

When John Decker's wife, Karen, was transported to the Aiken emergency room about a year ago, doctors relied on Decker to provide medical information that his wife was unable to provide for herself.

Decker knew most of the medical information for his wife, who has multiple sclerosis, but there were some specifics he did not have.

"I knew some of them. What I didn't know were the dosages. I didn't know what times of day she was taking the medications. I knew her allergic reactions, but I wasn't sure of the last time she had a tetanus shot," he said. "The good news is she pulled through that, and, after a couple months in the hospital and rehab, she was home. I sat down one day, and I said, 'I really need to get all this medical data in one place.'"

Decker compiled all of his wife's medical information - including physician contact information, blood type, medication dosages and allergies - and saved the information to a flash drive. After painting a small cross on it, he always kept it nearby in case of emergency.

A friend who saw the flash drive commented that it was a great idea and suggested that he try to market the product.

"Well, great ideas are usually someone else's," Decker recalled thinking.

He searched the Internet and saw that a dozen other manufacturers made similar products, but when he began purchasing their products and trying them, he saw a lot of things he did not like.

Many required medical data to be uploaded and transferred online, and others involved monthly fees and advertising. The devices that he found ranged in price up to $100.

But Decker wanted something simple.

Working with local software engineer Mike Baker and web designer Anthony DeFeo, Decker created a USB device with a program that could store medical information, as well as important legal documents like a living will and medical directives, so they could be easily available to EMTs and hospital personnel.

Decker created a company, M.E.D.I. For Life, and learned from doctors, hospitals and insurance companies what information they would want to know if a patient came into the hospital. He created the Medical Emergency Digital Information device, which comes in key chain and bracelet form, to hold the information.

Once someone plugs the device into a computer, he or she will be prompted to fill out fields of information, including contact information for physicians, allergic reactions, medical history and other information. The person would create a password, and the medical information would be available to anyone who opened it in a read-only format.

There is also a section of the program where the user could download and save important documents, which, along with the insurance section of the program, is separately password protected because it contains private information.

"In my personal experience, I want it with me and especially in an emergency, when you're not thinking clearly," Decker said. "If an EMT asks me any information or a doctor in an emergency room asks me any information, all I have to do is say 'here' and give them this (device) and say, 'This is my complete medical profile.'"

The medical bracelet, intended for those who are active and can wear it while exercising, and the keychain are both red. The bracelet comes in two sizes - 7 inches and 8 inches.

The device is currently usable with Internet Explorer or Firefox, but is not Mac-capable. A new version of the device is coming out in the next few months, said Decker, that will feature a system that is not browser-dependant and can be used on Macs.

"This forces you to take all of your medical information that you have got in your purse, in your wallet, at home and put it in one place," he said, adding that even if someone doesn't want to carry the device, they can fill out the information, print it out and keep it in a safe place. "So print it off and put it in an envelope in your glove compartment."

Decker, who retired at 55 after 28 years as an executive with GE nuclear energy, currently teaches business classes at area colleges.

The device is sold for $19.95, and more information can be found at www.mediforlife.com or by contacting Decker at 257-3459 or johndecker@atlanticbb.net.

Anna Dolianitis is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, as well as court and legal matters affecting Aiken County. She has been with the Aiken Standard since August 2010.