I think it is fair to say that all of us would like to think that if you were involved in an emergency situation that rendered us somewhat incapable for a period, a decent human being passing by would do their best to help you in your time of need.
One of the things that a decent human being would do, or at least the paramedic who was called to scene by that decent human, is search your person for some form of identity. Who you are is quite a handy thing to know in an emergency situation; you are much more likely to respond to your own name than just random “Oi! Can you hear me?!”. But not only that, knowing who you are and whether you have any medical conditions or allergies can be the missing link in treating whatever is going on in that moment in the best way possible.
Not to mention the fact that your identity will also be the secret to finding out who on this earth you love the most, and therefore who should be called to come and be with you.
Apple have included an electronic Medical ID card within the Health app in iOS 8.0 upwards, to which you can add important health information that might be useful to medical professionals should you be involved in an accident. The Health app is available to those with iPhone 4s or iPod Touch 5th generation and newer.
You can provide information on medical conditions, allergies, height and weight, blood type and donor status, and an emergency contact name and number.
That information can then be accessed via your home screen, even when your phone is locked (if you leave that option on). This means it can be seen by that decent human being without having to get past the passcode or password.
To access: swipe to unlock, tap Emergency, tap Medical ID.
To set up your Medical ID, open the Health app and tap on the Medical ID icon on the right of the screen. Now tap “create Medical ID” and complete as much of the information as you would like to be available. When you are finished tap “done” in the top corner and your Medical ID will be ready from your lock screen.
There are of course reasons to and not to include this type of information that could potentially be seen by any random member of the public who has your phone in their hand (or anyone who might choose to steal your iPhone). But I would argue that some information could be vital should you need the assistance or a paramedic or first responder. If your phone is lost or stolen I would say your first priority is to use Find My iPhone to locate/lock/wipe the device; it is unlikely a thief would be worried about your blood type. Please remember that using Medical ID shouldn’t replace any medical tags you have been advised to wear.
If you are acting as that decent human being in an emergency situation and have time to have a look and see if you can find out any information before the emergency services arrive, you can check the person’s phone to see if they are using Medical ID. Press the home button, swipe to unlock, tap Emergency, tap Medical ID. Please remember that you shouldn’t be going through anyone’s bag (leave that to the emergency services), but if you can see their phone then it might be useful to have a look.