Medical alarm

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Medical Alarm

A Medical Alarm (pronunciation: /ˈmɛdɪkəl əˈlɑːrm/), also known as a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS), is a device designed to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to summon emergency medical personnel.

Etymology

The term "Medical Alarm" is derived from the Latin word 'medicus' meaning 'physician', and the Old French 'alarme', meaning 'to arms' or 'to the alarm'.

Function

A Medical Alarm is typically a wireless, portable device, often a pendant or wristband, that the user can press in case of an emergency. When activated, the device connects to a base unit in the home, which then automatically dials a pre-programmed number or numbers, usually a central monitoring service or directly to emergency services.

Related Terms

  • Emergency Medical Services (EMS): A service providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient believes constitute a medical emergency.
  • Telecare: The term for offering remote care of elderly and physically less able people, providing the care and reassurance needed to allow them to remain living in their own homes.
  • Telehealth: The distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies.
  • Fall Detection: A feature in many medical alarm systems that automatically sends an alert to a monitoring center if the wearer falls.

See Also

External links

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