Someone call 911

Plan Ahead

Mar 28

A normal dinner. A sudden collapse. Nobody in the room knew about Sam's allergies — but his iPhone did. Five minutes could save your life.

Sam reads a menu at a restaurant dinner, then collapses at the table while a woman shouts "Someone call 911!"

An ambulance races at night while a paramedic kneels over an unconscious Sam at the scene.

A red Star of Life symbol introduces Medical ID on iPhone as a life-saving decision, followed by a patchOS Plan Ahead card and an iPhone screen prompting Medical ID setup.

iPhone screens walk through Medical ID setup — entering name, date of birth, medications, allergies, and emergency contacts.

A paramedic explains that Medical ID on iPhone travels with you everywhere, accessible to first responders even far from home.

Three iPhone screens show how first responders access Medical ID — wake the lock screen, tap Emergency, then tap Medical ID.

A paramedic holds an Apple Watch displaying Sam's Medical ID with medications, allergies, and emergency contacts visible.

Three Apple Watch screens show how first responders access Medical ID by pressing the Side Button and dragging the Medical ID slider.

An ambulance outside an Italian restaurant with a tip to add your doctor or pharmacy to the Medical ID notes section for quick access.

A paramedic checks Sam's Medical ID showing a shellfish allergy, then administers an epinephrine shot to treat his reaction.

Sam recovers as the paramedic reassures him — his Medical ID on iPhone saved precious time during the emergency.

Sam didn't see it coming. One minute, he was enjoying a lovely Italian dish. The next, the server was calling 911, and no one in the room knew his name, let alone his allergies.
Medical ID on iPhone is a built-in Health app feature that lets first responders access your critical health information directly from the lock screen — no passcode required. They can see your allergies, medications, medical conditions, blood type, and emergency contacts. It works even when your iPhone is locked, which is exactly when it matters most.
Apple's support documentation walks you through the full setup in just a few minutes: Set up your Medical ID in the Health app on your iPhone. The information stays private until it's needed — then it's right there for whoever is trying to help you.
This is the Plan Ahead habit doing what it does best — not a dramatic life overhaul, just a five-minute upgrade that could save your life. Most preparedness habits work this way. You do the thing. You forget about it. And then one day, it saves your life.
The hard part isn't the setup. It's admitting that unexpected things happen — and that you did something about it right now. Keep coming back. You're not alone. 🤓💪
Pick a challenge:
1. Open the Health app and set up your Medical ID on iPhone
2. Add at least two emergency contacts — one local, one out of state
3. Review your medications and allergies list for anything that's changed
4. Help one family member set up their own Medical ID
5. Enable the "Show When Locked" toggle so first responders can actually access your Medical ID
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Jeff Shibasaki

Jeff Shibasaki is a Staff UX Writer at Wellhub and creator of Geek Strong, a comic-driven wellness brand that helps geeks patch the habits holding them back through storytelling, humor, design, and the patchOS framework. He created patchOS — a six-habit system built around the idea that systems work better than willpower alone. New Patches drop every Saturday.

https://geekstrong.com

Someone call 911

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