In iOS 8, Apple brought yet another stock app to the iPhone’s home screen, this one being called “Health.” It allows a user to track their steps, miles, and calories one has eaten in one day. There is another feature called Medical ID, which allows users to list items such as medical notes, medications the person is on, height, weight, and whether or not the person is an organ donor or not. With all of that said, although this is a great feature, there is a huge flaw in it and it could possibly mean life or death for someone. A human being. A life.
Right now, there is only one way to access Medical ID from the lock screen, which is done by sliding your finger to the right (the way you normally unlock your iPhone), tap Emergency, and then tap the Medical ID badge in the bottom-left-corner to access it.
The issue is that it is too lengthy and to complicated to get to. To fix this, it would literally require a simple move of the badge and icon, and an upward swipe, similar to the one that you make to easily access your iPhone’s camera.
My fix is to have the Medical ID logo on the lock screen in the bottom left corner and putting your thumb on the icon, then swiping up. It’s that simple. This way medical personnel can access it without getting into your iPhone’s information (personal photos, videos, text messages, etc).
Based on the fact that Apple’s has a lot of active iPhones and iPod Touch’s out there, making Medical ID easier to access would help the medical professionals out there trying to save lives. Even just this slight update could allow a surgeon, nurse, or doctor to save a person’s life.
