Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama has an innovative program that makes it possible for you to store your confidential medical and emergency contact information on the Internet and have it available in emergencies. Emergency Patient Information (EPI) allows you to record details about your medications, chronic conditions, previous surgeries, the name and telephone number of your physician – even your hospital preference – and make it available to rescuers or caregivers through a unique Rescue Login system.

EPI Card May Save Your Life – Real Story
On January 19, 2004, Ann used her EPI card in a medical emergency. "I was going to the dentist and was told to take four 500mg amoxicillin capsules. I've taken amoxicillin before and have never had a problem. But in ten minutes, I was obviously having a serious reaction," says Ann. After talking with paramedics, I drove myself to the emergency room at Brookwood Hospital. When I gave them my insurance card, I also gave them my EPI card. When the doctor came in to talk with me, he had the information printed out and even asked me about another drug allergy I had recorded. They gave me a shot of epinephrine and I was fine.

"The fact that I didn't have to fill out all that information about the medications I was taking and what I was allergic to cut down on the emergency room process. I felt like I was seen more quickly,” she says. "I was more at ease, knowing that information was stored. It's hard to think clearly and remember all the details when you're in the middle of an emergency."

The Program Is Simple
Here’s how EPI works. The web address for EPI is www.myepi.net. Each person registers, sets up an individual User ID and password and then records his or her vital medical and emergency contact information. Once the appropriate information has been entered, EPI allows users to print a temporary identification card and order a permanent plastic card by mail. The card displays the user’s name, the name and telephone number of their emergency contact, and – most importantly – a unique 10-character identifier called the Rescue Login. By entering the individual’s specific Rescue Login in the space provided at www.myepi.net, any caregiver, physician or rescue worker can view the information the individual recorded. The Rescue Login affords “view-only” capability; no information can be changed when accessing the system this way. EPI requires logging in with the secure User ID and password in order to edit any information. There is no charge for participation in EPI, regardless of an individual’s insurance coverage.

You’re In Control
Another aspect of EPI that makes the system unique is that the user controls the information entered into the system and the access granted to view that information. Each user establishes their individual User ID and password and is responsible for keeping that information secure. No changes can be made to any data in EPI without logging in to the system with that secure ID and password. You decide what information to include in your registration – what are the things YOU want a rescue worker to know immediately about you and your health? Who do YOU want contacted first if you’re involved in an emergency? EPI puts the user in control of these important decisions and allows them to be decided in advance – before an unsettling emergency situation arises. EPI makes it possible to print and order you and your family members’ EPI identification cards. You control the number and the location where the cards are mailed and the access they provide to your personal information.

Prepare In Advance
As Ann’s experience shows, you never know when you’ll find yourself involved in an emergency situation. And it can be almost impossible to remember all the crucial details you need once you’re caught up in one. That’s why it’s essential to prepare in advance. EPI lets you store all important facts about yourself that can be absolutely vital once an emergency arises. If you haven't already registered, please take some time today to visit www.myepi.net and do so. Encourage your friends and family to get EPI cards and to carry one at all times too. You never know when it's going to make a difference.