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June 24, 2021
Developed by MIT scientists, QMedic is an award-winning medical alert system with the goal of helping older adults age independently. Taking a fresh approach to medical alert design, QMedic’s system includes monitoring for user activity and sleep data, and it alerts loved ones when it senses a problem. This adds up to QMedic being one of the smartest medical alerts available.
In this overview, I’ll explore QMedic’s systems and how the company compares to other medical alerts.
| In-home system | $300 per year |
| Mobile system | $400 per year |
| Most affordable system | $30 per month |
| Fall detection | Not available |
| Extra users | Not available |
| Protection plan | Not available |
QMedic offers three medical alert systems, two of which, the Cellular and Landline, are home-based. QMedic’s third device, the mobile alert, caters to older individuals with more active lifestyles, using a built-in GPS to monitor them almost anywhere they go.
Although landlines are becoming less popular, nearly half of households still had one in 2017. And landline-based medical alert systems certainly have their advantages. QMedic’s landline system will still function even if cell towers are overwhelmed or damaged since it doesn’t rely on a cellular connection.
QMedic’s Landline Medical Alert costs $30 per month or $300 for a prepaid year. The system’s equipment includes a base station and your choice of a neck pendant or wristband equipped with a button you can press to call help during an emergency. The button’s battery lasts approximately two years, and QMedic will send you a new one before the old one expires.
Most medical alerts inform caregivers only if there is a problem, but QMedic’s in-home systems provide proactive data and wellness reports for both professional and family caregivers. The company wants to prevent health issues, not just respond to them.
The in-home Cellular Medical Alert is nearly identical to QMedic’s Landline system, but with a few key differences. Instead of a landline connection, the system uses a base station with a SIM card that connects to a cellular network. It does not require an additional cellular plan or a Wi-Fi internet connection. Like the Landline system, the In-Home Cellular system provides extensive proactive data for caregivers through the Caregiver Dashboard, including activity, sleep patterns, and wear compliance.
To learn more about this system, check out my full QMedic review.
For active older adults, QMedic’s Mobile GPS system provides coverage at home and on the go. Similar to the Cellular system, the Mobile GPS system uses the AT&T cellular network. Payment options for the Mobile GPS system are $45 per month or $400 annually.
Instead of a base station, this system includes a charger and a wearable pendant. The pendant features two-way talk and a GPS tracking device that sends your location to the monitoring center so it can accurately deploy help during an emergency. As someone who is out and about a lot, having a device that can tell emergency personnel my location regardless of where I go would ease my mind about potential falls or accidents.
In contrast to the two-year battery life on the emergency pendant/wristband that comes with the Landline and Cellular systems, the battery for the Mobile GPS system lasts only about 14 days and requires much more frequent charging. The Mobile GPS pendant is still ready to respond if its battery ever gets alarmingly low though; notifications will be sent to both you and a caregiver to remind you to charge it.
| System | In-Home Cellular | In-Home Landline | Mobile GPS System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual price | $300 | $300 | $450 |
| Initial fees | None | None | None |
| For use | In-home | In-home | In-home and on the go |
| Equipment | Base station; wristband or pendant | Base station; wristband or pendant | Mobile GPS; pendant; belt clip; charging cradle |
| Connection type | Cellular | Landline | Cellular, GPS |
| Fall detection | None | None | None |
| Caregiver portal | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Additional features |
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One negative aspect of QMedic is its serious lack of accessories. It does not even offer fall detection, an add-on that’s typically highly desirable. One in four Americans over 65 falls each year, according to the National Council on Aging, and even short falls can lead to serious health issues or death. Despite its high-tech monitoring and prevention measures, QMedic omits fall response detection.
If fall detection is an important feature for your needs, then I’d recommend checking out my list of the best medical alerts with fall detection.
Pro Tip: QMedic’s in-home system may be a wise choice if you have mild memory issues and don’t always remember dates or whether you experienced symptoms and details about your symptoms.
QMedic’s medical alert systems are available through the company’s website or via its toll-free customer service line; its landline systems can be ordered only over the phone. QMedic’s systems are sold only with annual subscriptions, and the cost of your equipment rental is included in your yearly subscription.
QMedic’s 30-day money-back guarantee allows you to try the service for a month at no risk. The chance to try a product and then potentially get my money back if I cancel within 30 days of receiving my device is a big incentive. If you cancel your plan, then all equipment must be returned to QMedic in order to get a refund.
QMedic doesn’t charge cancellation fees, per se, but canceling after the first full month gets more complicated. Per QMedic’s terms and conditions, if you want to return a system after the first 30 days then you must give the company at least 30 days of written notice. Depending on when you cancel the service, you may have to pay for several weeks of service remaining on your contract.
QMedic does not have a mobile application, but its Caregiver Dashboard provides your caregivers real-time data on your well-being using high-tech, smart monitoring. Using the Caregiver Dashboard, anyone designated as a caregiver or family member on your account will have real-time access to all your monitoring statistics.
The dashboard does not have a smartphone app, but you can still log in using your smartphone. It’s easiest to view on a desktop or laptop though. For some individuals, like my husband, this may feel too invasive. Depending on his health status, he could customize the feature to be viewable only by me or send notifications only if there is an issue.
The Caregiver Dashboard also displays device history, so caregivers can view when you called the monitoring center. If your loved ones live far away, the Caregiver Dashboard allows them to check on you virtually as often as they’d like. Seeing all your activity, sleep, and emergency call details may help them feel more involved in your daily care.
Style tip: The button attachments on QMedic wristbands have standard watch pins, allowing you to customize your wearable with a new band of your choice.
All QMedic monthly subscription plans include 24/7 monitoring by U.S.-based monitoring centers. QMedic has two call centers, in Utah and Idaho, to create a reliable and safe redundancy. With two distant locations, you can always count on a monitoring center to answer your call. If there’s a blackout or emergency in one area, the other call center will likely still be available to answer your call.
It takes an average of 30 seconds for a UL-certified QMedic monitoring center to answer your call. With QMedic’s system, you designate your emergency contact at registration. If you prefer, the monitoring center can connect you with a caregiver or family member before reaching out to emergency services. You can make these customizations by contacting the call center upon setting up your system.
QMedic’s medical alert systems boast competitive prices, impressive caregiver tools, and lengthy return policies. With the capability of monitoring for activity, compliance, and sleep, QMedic can provide users and caregivers with valuable health and safety information along with the protection of professional monitoring. QMedic is also one of our top picks for the best medical alert system.
QMedic goes beyond the basics with their 24/7 proactive data alerts for caregivers. When you’re setting up your QMedic system, you can choose to have caregivers or family members alerted when your mobility or sleep patterns deviate from your normal range. Call to hear current QMedic offers and pricing.
The pendant is made out of plastic, and the band is a rubber material. The lanyard for the neck pendant is nylon fabric.
Yes! It’s important to keep your pendant or wristband on at all times to ensure you’re able to reach help if you need it. It’s not uncommon to experience middle-of-the-night emergencies, especially after getting out of bed.
Both the QMedic customer service and monitoring center have staff who can speak with you in a variety of languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Arabic. The company also subscribes to a real-time phone translation service that supports many languages.
QMedic does not charge you based on the number of times you call. The number your base station dials is also toll-free, so you won’t be charged for the call either.
QMedic collects information about methods of entry during registration. If you don’t have a nearby loved one with a key, consider purchasing a lockbox for your front door and providing QMedic with the code.
