Mayo Clinic And Garmin Put Emergency Medical Information On Cell Phones

Mobile phone subscribers can have medical information at their fingertips through a new software application announced Thursday by GPS provider Garmin and the Mayo Clinic. The application enables a user to be automatically guided by GPS to the nearest emergency medical care facility.

The application features Mayo Clinic's InTouch wireless health program in a $2.99 a-month offering created by Garmin's Digital Cyclone unit. The application features first aid tips, a symptom checker, short health video news alerts, and drug watches. The service is available this month on Alltel Wireless, Sprint, and other selected wireless carrier networks.

"When you're away from home and need medical attention, having a list of accredited nearby emergency rooms and urgent care facilities will help in those not-quite-911 situations," said Digital Cyclone president Craig Burfeind in a statement. "The emergency room finder feature even lets you call the hospital with a single keystroke."

Subscribers also can locate nearby emergency care facilities by ZIP code.

Most of the content is provided by the Mayo Clinic through its MayoClinic.com Web site and its Medical Edge syndicated news products.

"Our education function isn't limited to training the next generation of physicians and other medical providers," said Dr. Roger Harms, medical editor-in-chief for MayoClinic.com, in a statement. "We also see providing health information to consumers as essential. Through this new project we're able to make it available to them wherever they are."