[Jewelry making - Article 00813] - Re: [Orchid] Models for Medical jewelry

[tlmcd AT netzero.com]

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    Thanks for all the input on my post regarding  the medical alert
    jewelry.  My sister was an EMT, and I unfortunately have a few
    hundred frequent flier miles on the ambulances (asthma, food
    allergies), so yes, I know how darned important they are!  I just
    tend to want to leave the "army dog tag" look behind when I go out
    somewhere nice, and informal polling shows I'm not the only one. 

    I have already contacted several of the Emergency Medical Tech forums
    and got their input. I also have the names and addresses of the
    emergency journals they read that I will be at least submitting pics
    and an article to. So yes, I know marketing to the emergency
    responders is the first priority. I will be taking the preliminary
    designs around to a few of the ER and ambulance companies in town for
    input before even submitting them for modelling.  I'll also be
    including a sheet that the buyer can take or send to the local fire
    department or ambulance companies (usually the first responders).  

    FYI, for any of those of you who do occasionaly make them, the most
    common thing they told me on the EMS forums is that most of the
    charms and pendants are WAY too tiny, and becoming more so. 
    Apparantly the major players in the medical jewelry industry in an
    effort to make the medical ID's more appealing to the masses
    (instead of more attractive) are making them smaller and are losing
    sight of the function, which is information.  

    Under 1 inch in length is a impractical. Most "charms" they are
    seeing are less than 1/2 inch around.  The italian charm bracelets
    are a joke, they are so small they can't see the emblem, much less
    the lettering.  The 800 numbers and no medical data are often a
    waste of critical time, if they can ever get someone to answer. 
    Many of the bracelets get cut off, because they are just as hard to
    get off as they are to put on (that darned double J clasp).  Some of
    the older EMT's actually don't even look for a tag, but for the huge
    curb chain 

    As to engraving - lets just say that unless the engraving is set off
    in black patina and at least in 8 point block letters then reading
    the thing in a parking lot, train/subway station, or the back of an
    ambulance at night is mostly guesswork from a couple letters.  In
    hospitals they may be readable, but for first responders (EMT and
    Firefighters/medics) please use decent point size.    

    The cadeucus symbol (twin snakes, winged staff) is not the universal
    emergency symbol.  The caduceus is typically viewed by people in the
    medical profession as denoting that the wearer is also in the
    medical profession.  The exception seems to be "Miss Brooke's
    Medicharms" which acording to Mothers of Asthmatics and the Food
    Allergy and Anaphalaxis Network forums tend to do a good job of
    getting kids to actually wear an alert medallion (apparantly not a
    small feat) and have enough of the catchy red around the cadeucus to
    be saving quite a few lives if your customers like teddy bears,
    hearts, trains, frogs, football helmets, etc.  Although these charms
    are fairly small in comparison to their "dogtag" pendant, on a
    child's body they stand out enough, and it's fairly obvious if a
    child is having an airway obstruction vs. a diabetic crisis, which
    are usually the two most common reasons kids need to wear them. The
    "star of life" is considered the universal medical symbol.  (flat
    edged six sided star with single snake around a staff). The blue
    star of life from the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin is based
    on the red American Medical Assn's. "Universal Emergency Symbol"
    which I can't find or get a copy of to even look at from the AMA,
    but apparantly the main difference is that the NHTSA made the sides
    of the star flat and is blue to denote emergnecy medical workers
    whereas the AMA version had a concave curve and is red.  The AMA's
    version is expressly copyright free if you can ever find it.  "Medic
    Alert" is a registered trade name and trademark, therefore a no-no
    to mention unless you are actually selling their brand.  So you
    see, I have been doing my research for a bit before bringing this to
    you all. 

Hugs,
Tina McDonald

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