The No Blood Card – Protecting you in Medical Emergencies

My Medical Choice also offer a No Blood card

My Medical Choice is all about protecting your bodily autonomy and any specific healthcare wishes an individual has, be it not accepting blood due to religious beliefs or personal choice.

We are not here to dictate what a person must do; we focus on providing knowledge and information so that people are better equipped to decide what’s best for them.

Medical emergencies can strike at any moment, and often they require swift and precise decision-making. For some individuals, these emergencies can be further complicated by their refusal to accept blood transfusions for religious or personal reasons. To address this issue, many have turned to a simple yet invaluable document known as the “No Blood Card.”

In this article, we will explore what a No Blood Card is and the numerous benefits of carrying one, especially for those who adhere to the principles of refusing blood transfusions.

Note:

My Medical Choice would like to point out that we have no affiliation with any religious denominations regarding our No-Blood card, and we have made our own cards available because many people are asking for practical solutions that help support their right to medical autonomy.

What is a No Blood Card?

A No Blood Card is the size of a business card and is carried in a purse or wallet. The front of the card immediately communicates the rejection of blood transfusion under any circumstances and the fact that there is an Advance Decision Notice/living will in place and how to access it. The back of the card holds the login data for the patient’s personal account page. These types of cards are recognised by first responders and medical professionals and are legally binding when used with an Advanced Decision Notice/Living Will.

Key components of a No Blood Card may include

1. Personal Information: Name and contact details.
2. Religious Affiliation: For those who refuse blood transfusions for religious reasons, this card often includes information about their faith, denomination, and specific teachings regarding blood transfusions.
3. Organisation Affiliation: For those who have joined an organisation such as My Medical Choice, the card makes clear that the cardholder is a member and believes strongly in the right to refuse donated blood and potentially other medical interventions.
4. Emergency Contact Information: In the event of an emergency, contact information for a designated representative or next of kin is included.

Benefits of Carrying a No Blood Card

1. Supporting Individual Autonomy: The primary benefit of carrying a No Blood Card is the support it lends to an individual’s right to make medical decisions in accordance with their deeply held beliefs. It ensures that their wishes are communicated, even in situations where they may not be able to express them.
2. Avoiding Unwanted Blood Transfusions: For those who refuse blood transfusions, the No Blood Card is a critical tool to help prevent medical professionals from administering blood against their will. This can be a matter of life and death, as unwanted blood transfusions can have severe consequences, including spiritual distress and physical complications.
3. Providing Clarity in Emergencies: During medical emergencies, time is of the essence. Carrying a No Blood Card provides immediate clarity for medical personnel, ensuring that the patient’s wishes are respected, which can lead to more efficient and informed decision-making – for example, first responder taking the patient directly to a hospital that performs bloodless surgery and has autologous donation machinery on site.
4. Legal Protection: No Blood Cards provide a gateway to accessing an Advanced Decision Notice (Living Will), which is a legally binding document. This means that healthcare providers are warned from the start that there is an Advance Decision Notice in place and how to access it via the No Blood card. From then on, they legally are obligated to adhere to the directives contained in the Advance Decision Notice/Living Will, protecting the individual from receiving blood transfusions and other unwanted medical interventions.
5. Peace of Mind: Carrying a No Blood Card offers peace of mind to individuals who may be at risk of medical emergencies. They can rest assured that their choices will be respected, allowing them to focus on their health without the added worry of conflicting medical procedures.
6. Facilitating Communication: No Blood Cards can serve as a conversation starter between individuals and their healthcare providers. Discussing this in advance, and more importantly, showing that one has their Advanced Decision Notice in place, will help healthcare professionals plan appropriate treatment strategies that align with the individual’s values.

The No Blood Card is a simple yet powerful tool that supports individuals who have an Advance Decision Notice/Living Will in place that sets out the medical treatments and procedures they are rejecting due to their beliefs and right to informed choice.

For those who refuse blood transfusions for religious or personal reasons, carrying a No Blood Card can be a lifesaver in medical emergencies, ensuring that their choices are made clear immediately so that their autonomy is protected. It offers not only peace of mind but also a means of fostering clear and respectful communication between patients and healthcare providers.

Whether for religious or personal reasons, the No Blood Card plays a vital role in the quest for medical treatment that aligns with individual values and convictions.

Medical ID Card

My Medical Choice do also offer the option of having a “Medical ID Card” instead of the No Blood card for those comfortable with accepting donated blood and blood products. My Medical Choice provides a service that is open to all, as we respect our members’ individual right to make their own medical decisions.

Why would a person carry a no-blood, or Medical ID card?

1. If your decision is not to have blood (no matter what your reason) a “No-Blood” card would stop emergency services in their tracks, and they would alter their procedure so that they know how to deal with a patient, making sure they have the correct treatment.
2. As listed above, the purpose of a no-blood card is just to make medical professionals aware that your wishes are not to have blood, that is all. You need to keep in mind that it is not a legally binding document (or card). Only the Advanced Decision Notice (or Lasting Power of Attorney document, if the member has one) is legally binding. The card used by My Medical Choice members lists details on the back that quickly point emergency services to the online personal account page where the Advance Decision Notice and medical history are located.
3. If you look at the back of our cards, you will see the URL that the emergency services us to log in so as to see your Advanced Decision Notice.Your personal access code is also on the card and they will need to use this to access your Advanced Decision Notice.As you can see, it also lists a named ICE (in case of emergency) contact and telephone number.

What is so special about the My Medical Choice Emergency screensaver?

As well as the medical emergency cards, we also offer a mobile phone screensaver to our members as an extra layer of protection.

STEP 1: Emergency services check your phone and access the Safe-Blood System login (by their phone or computer)

Note:

The photo on the left, shows the “Safe-Blood System screen saver that is also available, though if being used by the medical teams on their own devices, they will just access it via the URL.

Step 2: As shown in the picture on the left, as soon as the emergency services enter your details into the system, the My Medical Choice system AUTOMATICALLY sends out SMS text alerts to 2 designated emergency contacts, notifying them that your Emergency System has been triggered and to make contact immediately.

There are many advantages to this ranging from making sure that your medical directives are followed, to also making sure that you are not left alone during such a stressful/vulnerable time.

Of course, there are also contact details on your card, but if for some reason, the emergency services do not use these, then the My Medical Choice system does this automatically.

The No-Blood Card is like a key to unlock your Advanced Decision Notice

Remember, on its own, the No Blood card isn’t a legally binding card, but what it does is to alert the emergency services to check and find out why you are carrying this. They do this by quickly visiting the URL on the card and using your unique identifier code that is on your card.

THEY WILL DO THIS as they need to know why you have specified this, it could be due to certain allergies that they need to know about, religious affiliations or just your specific standing on this.

This also means that they can treat you a lot quicker as they can now view your ADN, and list of specific medications you may be on, or if you have things like a pacemaker etc, fitted.

The “no blood” card is like a key that unlocks the door to giving them the information they need to properly treat you, as per your requirements.

More related information can be found below…

Ensure your Hospital can access your Advanced Decision Notice!

New Medical I.D. cards for the purse or wallet

Is mRNA in vaccinated blood donations? – Autonomy in Healthcare

My Medical Choice is not here to judge your decision, it is about empowering people to control their own healthcare.

My Medical Choice is all about your Medical Autonomy in healthcare and making sure the emergency team treating you follows your specific wishes. When used correctly, it is a powerful system that can notify medical teams about allergies, procedures etc., right down to more personalised decisions such as people concerned about mRNA in blood, and/or, wanting a solution to vaccinated blood (as listed in the examples in some articles).