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July 16, 2020
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. QMedic’s system analyzes sleep patterns and movement, alerting loved ones when it senses there might be a problem. A uniquely designed algorithm also monitors QMedic users for compliance, sending caregivers notifications if the user spends a given amount of time without their medical alert pendant or wristband.
In this rundown, I will take a look at the different products offered by QMedic, from their key features and pricing, to monitoring and warranties. How does QMedic compare to other medical alert systems? We’ll find out below!
QMedic Medical Alert Systems
QMedic supports three medical alerts. Two of the company’s systems, the Cellular and Landline, are both home-based. Alternatively, QMedic’s third device, the mobile alert, caters to older individuals with more on-the-go lifestyles, using a built-in GPS to monitor them almost anywhere they go.
As we move through the next few sections, we will discuss each of these systems more in-depth, but first, here’s an overview of what QMedic offers.
Pricing and Key Features
| QMedic Medical Alert Product | Pricing | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| In-Home Cellular System | $30 per month or $300 per year | 24/7 Professional Monitoring
2-year battery life on help button Wrist bracelet or neck pendant Waterproof Proactive data & wellness reports available for caregivers 2-way base station speaker with 800-1,000 foot range. Self-testing base station battery with 24-hour backup |
| Landline Medical Alert System | $30 per month or $300 per year | 24/7 Professional Monitoring
2-year battery life on help button Wrist bracelet or neck pendant Waterproof 2-way base station speaker with 800-1,000 foot range Self-testing base station battery with 24-hour backup |
| Outdoor Mobile GPS Medical Alert System | $45 per month or $400 annually | 24/7 Professional Monitoring
GPS tracking Pendant help button Neck pendant 14-day battery life Proactive data & wellness reports available for caregivers Waterproof |
Please note that you are purchasing a lease of QMedic’s service and that QMedic retains ownership of the equipment throughout the duration of the lease.
Activation and Cancellation Fees
Each month-to-month plan covers the rental of the equipment and 24/7 monitoring, and QMedic does not charge any activation or cancellation fees. If you’re like me and hate surprise charges, QMedic would be an excellent choice.
Savings Tip: By paying annually, you’ll save $60 on the Landline and Cellular systems and $120 on the Mobile GPS system.
In-Home Landline Medical Alert System
Although landlines are becoming less popular, nearly half of all households still had one in 2017, and landline service has its advantages. For example, landline systems can still function when the power goes down and the cell network is overloaded.
QMedic’s Landline Medical Alert costs $30 per month or $300 for a prepaid year. Equipment for this in-home system includes a base station and the user’s choice between a neck pendant or a wristband equipped with a button the user can press to call help during an emergency. The battery in this button lasts approximately two years, and QMedic will send you a new one long before the old one expires.
Installing the Landline system is a five-step process:
- Select a placement for your base station in a central location near both a phone jack and a wall outlet.
- Plug the base station into the power outlet.
- Temporarily disconnect any phone connected to the wall. Then connect the provided phone cord to the wall jack and the port on the base station that is labeled “wall.”
- If you disconnected a phone, connect it again by plugging it into the port on the back of your base station labeled “phone.”
- Put on your neck pendant or wristband and complete a test call to the emergency call center by pressing the emergency button on your wearable.
Like any in-home setup, users with the Landline system must be careful to stay within the 800-1,000 range of the base station. This range typically covers most homes and yards, but it’s important to measure yours individually. If you leave the range of the base station, your pendant or wristband will be unable to connect to the base station in the event of an emergency, making it impossible to call for help.
In-Home Cellular Medical Alert System
The in-home Cellular Medical Alert is nearly identical to QMedic’s Landline system, with a few key differences. Instead of a landline connection, this system uses a base station with a SIM card that connects to a cellular network. It does not require an additional cellular plan or WiFi internet connection.
Since many companies charge extra for cellular service, I thought this was a good deal for those without a landline. I liked that AT&T is the company powering the QMedic Cellular system since it has strong coverage throughout the U.S. However, I recommend that you find out what AT&T service is like in your area before choosing this plan over the landline option, since some rural areas have a weaker signal.
Installation for the Cellular system is a simple three-step process.
- Choose a central location for your base station near a wall outlet.
- Plug the base station’s power cord into the outlet.
- Make sure you’re wearing your pendant or wristband. Place a test call to the emergency call center by pressing the emergency button on your wearable.
Similar to a Landline system, the Cellular system is best for an individual who spends most of their time at home. While QMedic’s base station offers a solid 800-1,000 foot connectivity range, any user who is outside that range cannot connect to emergency help with their wearable.
Outdoor Mobile GPS Medical Alert System
For more active older adults, QMedic’s Outdoor 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 they can accurately deploy help in the event of 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 requires much more frequent charging, as it only lasts about 14 days. If your loved one tends to forget tasks like charging a battery, consider having them set a weekly reminder to charge their pendant to full capacity. This way, the device won’t ever get dangerously low. Nevertheless, the Mobile GPS pendant is ready to respond if the battery ever does get alarmingly low. Notifications will be sent to both you and your loved one, reminding you to charge it.
Tip: The button attachments on the wristbands have standard watch pins, allowing you to customize your wearable with a new band of your choice.
Proactive Technology
QMedic is one of the only medical alerts on the market that offers its specific proactive monitoring features. Rather than focus solely on response to accidents and emergencies, QMedic uses science to try to prevent most emergencies altogether.
QMedic has developed technology to track activity and sleep automatically and to determine when there’s a deviation. This information, along with notifications of anomaly behavior, such as taking an extra-long nap or not attending a weekly water aerobics course, is sent to caregivers. QMedic also recommends using it when you consult with medical personnel. While not all changes can be attributed to a health decline, too often health problems in older adults go unnoticed or are dismissed as normal aging. With QMedic’s monitoring technology, you could receive an alert if your loved one had not left bed for the day.
Additionally, QMedic’s pendants/wristbands can determine whether or not the user is wearing them. If I were a user, my family and I could customize notifications to be sent to anyone listed as my caregiver, so they could remind me to put my wearable emergency pendant back on.
Automatic Fall Detection
Despite their high-tech monitoring and prevention measures, QMedic omits fall response detection. 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, even death.
Although most medical alert system brands now offer automatic fall detection as at least an add on, QMedic does not. I know, fall detection sometimes has false alarms, but, as a loved one, I’d want to know about any potential problems a user was facing. It’s unnerving to me that if my loved one were left unconscious or too hurt to press their emergency button after a fall, they could go a long period of time without help. If your loved one is prone to falls, you’ll definitely want to consider this omission from QMedic systems.
How Do I Purchase a QMedic System?
Medical alert systems by QMedic are available for purchase through the company’s website or via their toll-free customer service line. However, the landline option can only be purchased over the phone. The equipment for each medical alert system is leased rather than purchased. Through your monthly subscription for the system, you pay to rent it monthly. Should you cancel your plan, all equipment must be returned to QMedic.
QMedic provides free shipping of its systems anywhere in the United States. There are also options for expedited shipping, although $40 for two day shipping and extra $70 for overnight FedEx service seemed slightly excessive.
Monitoring
All QMedic monthly subscription plans include 24/7 monitoring by U.S.-based monitoring centers. To create a reliable and safe redundancy, QMedic has two call centers, one in Utah and another in Idaho. 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 more than 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 systems, 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.
Caregiver Dashboard
Using the Caregiver Dashboard, anyone designated as a caregiver or family member on a user’s account will have real-time access to all monitoring statistics regarding their loved one.
While the dashboard does not currently have a smartphone app, you can still login using your smartphone. However, it’s easiest to view on a desktop or laptop.
For some individuals, like my husband, this would feel too invasive. Depending on where his health was at, he could customize this feature to only be viewable by me or just send notifications of an issue. The Caregiver Dashboard also displays device history, so loved ones can view a history of when the user called the monitoring center.
If you live far from a loved one, the Caregiver Dashboard gives you the opportunity to check in on them virtually as often as you’d like. Seeing all their activity, sleep and emergency call details helps you feel more involved in their everyday care.
Returns and Warranties
QMedic’s 30-day money-back guarantee allows customers to try the service for a full month at no risk. For me, the chance to try out a product then potentially get my money back as long as I cancel within 30 days of receiving my device is a big incentive.
While QMedic will never charge you any cancellation fees, per se, 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 have to give QMedic 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.
Bottom Line
All in all, QMedic’s medical alert systems boast competitive prices 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 peace of mind. While the number of payment plan options for QMedic is limited and options for add-ons are virtually nonexistent, QMedic’s medical alert systems are still a strong option for older adults and caregivers seeking a personal emergency solution that can help provide peace of mind.
FAQs
- What materials are used to make QMedic’s wristbands and neck pendants?
The pendant is made out of plastic, and the band is a rubber material. The lanyard for the neck pendant is a nylon fabric.
- Should I wear my pendant to bed?
Yes! It’s important to keep your pendant or wristband on at all times in order 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.
- What if the monitoring center agent can’t hear me during a crisis because I’m too far from the base station?
QMedic operators treat each alarm as an emergency unless you tell them otherwise. If they can’t hear you, emergency medical services will be sent, or your primary contact person will be contacted.
- Will it cost me to call for help using QMedic?
QMedic does not charge you based on the number of times you call. In fact, the number your base station dials is toll-free, so you won’t be charged for the call either.
- If there’s an emergency, how will the first responders get in my home?
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.
- Is QMedic covered by my insurance?
Medicaid or Managed Medicaid/Medicare Advantage programs may be eligible for reimbursement coverage in Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas.
Amie has been writing about senior care products and services for the last decade. She is particularly passionate about new technologies that help improve the quality of life for seniors and their families. Seeing her parents and grandparents age made Amie ask herself, “Would this be good enough for my loved ones?” In her spare time, Amie enjoys outdoor adventures and spontaneous road trips. Learn more about Amie here