Menu

What Should I Engrave On My Medical ID Bracelet or Necklace?

A medical ID bracelet serves you best when it is custom engraved with your personal information. Medical emergencies can happen anytime and anywhere. Having your vital medical and emergency contact information custom engraved on your medical ID tag helps enable first responders so they can treat you quickly and effectively. It is therefore important to engrave the information that is most pertinent for emergency medical personnel to know in the event you cannot communicate for yourself. That’s why our best tip for what to engrave on medical bracelet tags is to keep it simple and clear. We find that the best health information to include on medical ID jewelry is:

  • • First and Last Name
  • • Medical Conditions
  • • Allergies
  • • Current Medications
  • • Treatment Considerations or Restrictions
  • • In Case of Emergency (ICE) Phone Numbers

In this article, we will review:

  • • What to engrave on medical ID necklaces and bracelets
  • • How to identify the essentials to include on a bracelet
  • • ID bracelet ordering tips

If you’re still unsure what to engrave on medical ID bracelets, you may want to consult with your healthcare provider. Our Customer Care Team is also happy to help at 800.360.8680.

Every person is different. That’s why we custom engrave.

When people look for what to engrave on medical ID necklaces, bracelets, or ID tags, our answers are always the same:

  1. 1. Custom engrave your personal information, including your name, condition(s), treatment considerations, allergies, and emergency contact numbers.
  2. 2. Give priority to information a first responder or helpful bystander would need to provide immediate assistance.
  3. 3. Always spell check as many medications have similar names and spellings, but very different uses and treatment considerations.

Pre-engraved ID tags that list one condition simply do not provide the same value and protection as custom-engraved options that can communicate your identity, multiple pieces of medical information, and your emergency contact(s). That’s why we offer custom engraving on all of our medical ID tags and pendants.

Some pre-engraved medical alert tags include a QR code, website, or other means of accessing an online health profile or portal. While such, “tech IDs” can be helpful for communicating secondary pieces of information such as insurance information, doctors’ contact information, and health history, they require extra steps when moments count.

Your health information is too important to rely on someone’s wifi or cell signal. This is why we recommend that even if you use an online health profile, you include that account information on a custom engraved medical alert tag that also includes your name and most vital health information so that EMTs have access at a glance.

ID Bracelet Engraving: Ideas for Getting Started

Most people start shopping for a medical ID by looking for a style they like, and proceeding from there. But if you have an extensive medical history and/or need a lot of engraving space, you may need to choose a product based on the amount of engraving space. In that case, you may want to determine what health information to include on your medical ID and craft your engraving first and allow that information to help inform your product choices.

Use the handy engraving tool below to experiment with different medical ID bracelet engraving ideas.

Once you have your engraving finalized, you’re ready to choose and engrave your new medical ID!

Premium Laser Engraving
  • KELLY JAMES
  • TYPE 1 DIABETES
  • ON INSULIN PUMP
  • SULFA & PCN ALLERGY
  • ICE 555-385-4097
  • ICE 555-385-8364
  1. 21
  2. 21
  3. 21
  4. 21
  5. 21
  6. 21

“EMS generally doesn’t have the time or resources to check on USB or other types of electronic medical IDs.”

-Emma R., EMT-B

Read what other EMTs shared about medical alert jewelry during our First Responder Survey here.

Here’s just a few examples of what a custom engraved medical ID can look like. Check out the medical bracelet engraving ideas below:

Woman showing custom engraved medical ID with atrial fibrillation engraving
Woman showing custom engraved medical ID tag with stroke history engraving
Woman showing custom engraved medical ID tag with Diabetes engraving
Woman showing custom engraved medical ID tag with Lymphedema alert engraving

Key Points

Here are some important items to note about the engravings above:

Not Enough Space? Abbreviate!

Running out of room? Not to worry. We have loads of medical ID bracelet engraving ideas. The essentials to include on a bracelet (ID bracelet) alone can take up a lot of space, so using abbreviations can help.

Emergency medical professionals use common abbreviations for many medical terms and medications. This helps you fit more details on your medical ID tag. Check out the examples of common medical abbreviations below or view our helpful guide listing most common medical abbreviations.

Still short on space or have frequently changing information? Consider adding a pack of customizable wallet cards to your order and using one line to engrave, “SEE WALLET CARD.”

Engraving your name on your medical alert allows first responders to identify you quickly, should you be unable to advocate for yourself. Additionally, in the event of a loss of consciousness or suspected trauma, EMTs may wish to determine whether you respond to your name or ask you to state your name, so having this information helps.

Engrave any condition that may cause a medical emergency or be triggered by trauma or common medical treatments. If you have multiple conditions, you may wish to use common abbreviations to make the most of the space allowed.

Engrave your medical ID with any allergies that may cause a medical emergency, such as ALGYS: BEES & PEANUTS. People often also engrave instructions to call 911 and give epinephrine, as this information is helpful for bystanders and good samaritans to have before emergency personnel arrives. It is also a good idea to engrave allergies that impact your treatment, for example: ALGYS: LATEX & MORPHINE.

Your medical alert engraving should include medications you take, particularly if they have potentially dangerous interactions, side effects, or risks. Additionally, it’s important to make it clear whether you are using or allergic to a medication. That is, instead of engraving, ASPIRIN, clarify by engraving ON ASPIRIN if you take it regularly or ALGY: ASA (common abbreviations for “allergy” and “aspirin”) if you are allergic.

Some conditions and medical histories result in treatment considerations, which you’ll want to include in your medical alert engraving. For example, with a history of cancers impacting the lymphatic system, such as breast cancer, you may have a lymphedema risk and engrave LYMPHEDEMA ALERT / NO BP-IV-NEEDLES / RT ARM. Or with a history of gastric bypass, you may want to engrave, NO BLIND NG TUBE / NO NSAIDS / NO SUGARS.

When engraving your medical ID, we always recommend including at least one emergency contact number preceded by the letters ICE for In Case of Emergency. EMTs and other first responders are familiar with this abbreviation, which allows you to save engraving space you would otherwise have to spend on words such as, “HUSBAND - JONATHAN”.

Emergency Medical Technicians are trained to check the neck and both wrists for jewelry with a medical symbol. One key piece of information they" should read, "Yes, ICE is a common abbreviation first responders see regularly. Emergency Medical Technicians are trained to check the neck and both wrists for jewelry with a medical symbol. One key piece of information they look for on your ID is an emergency contact number, and the most common way to indicate that is by using, ICE for In Case of Emergency.