The conditions people engrave on medical ID jewelry typically fall into two categories:
• Conditions that might cause an emergency, and
• Conditions that EMTs and hospital personnel need to know about in an emergency.
Diabetes falls into both categories. Medical professionals need to be able to quickly diagnose diabetic emergencies, such as low blood sugar levels, and they also need to know about this diagnosis when a person with diabetes is involved in an emergency, such as a car accident, so they can manage your treatment effectively.
For people with diabetes, wearing a medical alert bracelet is truly essential.
Do First Responders Check Medical Alert Jewelry?
In the 2020 Lauren’s Hope First Responder Survey*, we polled over 100 EMTs, paramedics, and other first responders, specifically asking about diabetes medical alerts. The results were clear:
• Over 85% of first responders recommended medical alerts for people with diabetes.
• Over 95% of first responders agree that wearing a medical ID can improve patient outcomes.
What Types of Medical Alert Jewelry Are There?
There are three basic types of diabetic medical alerts:
1. Custom-engraved diabetes medical IDs
2. USB IDs for diabetes
3. Generic, non-custom-engraved diabetes medical alerts
Still, over 80% of first responders surveyed* agree that custom-engraved medical IDs are the most effective type of medical alert jewelry. Simply put: pre-engraved medical alert jewelry and USB IDs are nowhere near as effective as a custom-engraved diabetes medical alert.
Which diabetes bracelet is right for me?
The best diabetic medical alert jewelry is a custom-engraved medical alert necklace or bracelet, prominently featuring the medical alert symbol on the front. Over 90% of the emergency medical professionals we surveyed state that they identify medical alert jewelry by the presence of this symbol. This simple icon alerts medical personnel to the presence of vital medical information, which we engrave for you.
What should I engrave on my diabetes medical ID?
• Your name
• Your diabetes type
• Whether you are on insulin and how it’s administered
• Any allergies you may have (specifically food or drug)
• Other medical conditions
• Medications you take
• Emergency contact information
Other forms of medical ID jewelry offer far less benefit than custom-engraved diabetes medical alert jewelry.
While generic, non-customized, pre-engraved, cheap diabetes bracelets can get your diagnosis across, they fail to communicate anything other than a single condition state, yet all of the information in the list above is vitally important.
As for USB medical alerts, these “smart” medical IDs are anything but. In fact, 100% of emergency medical personnel reported that they absolutely never access patient information on a USB ID or flash drive, citing HIPAA regulations, time constraints, lack of laptop access, and common medical agency restrictions.
Let us help you figure out what you should put on your diabetic medical ID bracelet!
Do I Need a Diabetes Medical ID Bracelet?
If you have diabetes, you need diabetic medical alert jewelry. The most common forms of diabetes for which people wear med IDs are:
• Type 1 Diabetes
This is sometimes engraved as T1D, Type One Diabetes, DM1, Diabetes Mellitus 1, or Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.
• Type 2 Diabetes
This is sometimes engraved as T2D, Type Two Diabetes, DM2, Diabetes Mellitus 2, or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
• Gestational Diabetes
Although thankfully a temporary condition, gestational diabetes is a serious pregnancy complication for which people wear women’s medical alert jewelry.
Where Can I Find The Best Diabetes Medical Alert Jewelry For Me?
Here are the five best diabetes medical IDs for women and men:
- Diabetes Medical Alert Necklaces
Our Men’s diabetes medical alert dog tags and women’s diabetes medical alert necklaces are comfortable, discreet forms of medical alert IDs for people with diabetes. - Interchangeable Diabetes Medical Alert Bracelets
Interchangeable medical ID bracelets are a mix and match style of medical alert. Simply choose the custom-engravable medical alert ID tag you want, and pair it with any of our Mix and Match Interchangeable medical alert bracelets for a flexible medical ID jewelry wardrobe you’ll want to wear. - Medical Alert Cuffs for Diabetes
Always made with hypoallergenic stainless steel, LH customers love our medical alert cuffs. For diabetes or any other medical condition or treatment consideration, a med ID cuff offers discreet, inner engraving to keep your personal information private. - Sport Medical Alert Bracelets for Diabetes
Whether you’re an athlete or just love the look of sport medical alert bracelets, these silicone medical ID bracelets are always a perfect fit. Water-friendly and ready for your next workout, we have the style of sport medical ID bracelet that’s right for you. - Stretch Medical Alert Bracelets for Diabetes
Whether you find bracelet clasps a challenge or simply like the convenience of sliding your medical ID bracelet on over your hand, a stretch medical alert bracelet may be right for you! These mix and match styles are easy to mix and match with our traditional, wire-stranded, interchangeable medical ID bracelets for women.
Did you know? “Individuals with diabetes should wear an ID due to the increase of drug overdoses. The police department has a tendency to give narcan to suspected overdoses before medical arrives. This could save diabetic patients an unnecessary dose of narcan.”
-Austin B, EMT.
*In 2020, Lauren’s Hope conducted a non-incentivized, independent survey of more than 100 EMTs, paramedics, and other medical first responders.
*More than 80% of respondents agreed with the statement, “Custom-engraved medical IDs are the most effective form of medical ID jewelry.”
*Over 95% of first responders agreed with the statement that wearing a medical ID improves patient outcomes.
*Over 85% of first responders recommended medical alerts for people with diabetes.
*100% of first responders answered, “no” when asked if they ever use USB IDs.
Tara Cohen, Director of Sales, Marketing, and Business Development
LH Team Member Since 2012
University of California Santa Barbara
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taracohen
As Director of Sales, Marketing, and Business Development for Lauren’s Hope, Tara Cohen is often the voice of Lauren’s Hope. Whether she’s writing the Lauren’s Hope blog, crafting a marketing email, or describing a new product, Cohen brings a little personal touch to everything she creates.
“One of my favorite things about Lauren’s Hope is that we are truly here to help people. My first interaction with Lauren’s Hope was as a customer, and the helpful, caring manner in which the LH team supported my son’s needs was truly remarkable. It’s an experience I want our customers to have every time they visit the site. That’s why I always strive for a conversational, friendly tone of voice. I write the way we would speak to our customers if they walked into a Lauren’s Hope storefront.”
Part of the LH team since 2012, Cohen has spent years learning about various medical conditions and what engravings are most helpful for each.
“We always remind our readers that we are not medical professionals. We aren’t doctors or nurses. We are, however, medical ID experts. We talk to customers, first responders, and medical professionals every day about any condition you can imagine, and we discuss what information a first responder needs to know when someone has that condition. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to share some of that knowledge over on the LH blog.”
In addition to her years of experience at Lauren’s Hope and all of the research she puts into writing for LH, Cohen draws on her own life experiences to bring a human touch to the LH blog.
“Around here, we like to say, ‘Everyone knows someone who needs a medical ID,’ and that holds true for me as well. In fact, most of my family and many of my friends and their children wear Lauren’s Hope medical IDs.
“Personally, I have a salicylate intolerance and some pretty scary food and drug allergies, which I’ve written about at length.
“My son is nonverbal and has autism, OCD, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and sensory integration dysfunction. I’ve written a lot about Will, including our journey with his feeding aversion, which resulted in a two-week hospitalization and subsequent feeding tube placement. I still get emails and calls from moms whose kids are going through feeding aversion therapy or who have been recently diagnosed with autism, and I am so grateful to have the chance to connect with them.
“I have other family members and friends who wear our medical IDs for food and drug allergies, heart conditions, medication restrictions, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, blood thinner use, and more. Being able to help them choose the right med ID with the right engraving is very rewarding. I always tell them the same thing I tell all of our customers, ‘I hope you’ll never need it, but I am so glad you have it.’”
Areas of Expertise
eCommerce
Content Creation
Digital Marketing
Email Marketing
Product Development
Business Development
Brand Management
Professional Honors and Memberships
Member, Forbes Business Development Council, 2018 & 2019
Nominee, Kansas City’s Women Who Mean Business Awards, 2019
Commerce Review Panelist | ROI Revolution’s PPC and Marketing Summit, 2017
Guest Speaker, Kids With Courage (Type 1 Diabetes, KC charity) Annual Gala, 2016
Service Recognition Award, Kids With Courage Annual Gala, 2015
Nominee and Finalist, Kansas City’s NextGen Leader Awards, 2015 & 2016
Google AdWords and Analytics Certified, 2015
University of Florida’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) Guest Speaker | Touch-Screen Communication Technology for Children with Autism
Publications
Guest Author, Parenting Children With Special Needs Magazine, “The Most Important Purchase I Ever Made.” | 2017
Contributing Author, Forbes.comHow to Get The Most Out of Every Conference
Yes, You Really Need Reviews
Five Uncomfortable Questions You Must Ask New Vendors
Guest Author, Parenting Children With Special Needs Magazine, “The Most Important Purchase I Ever Made.” | 2017