Garmin's Digital Cyclone and Mayo Clinic Turn Mobile Phones into a First Aid Kit

Digital Cyclone, Inc., a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd., and Mayo Clinic have launched a software application that delivers an array of health information and tools directly to cellular phones. The Mayo Clinic InTouch wireless health program will be available in February on Alltel Wireless, Sprint, and other major carriers' wireless phones.

"The Mayo Clinic InTouch program lets cell phone users tap into the expertise of Mayo Clinic at nearly all times -- at home, in the office, at a park or in the car," said Craig Burfeind, president of Garmin's subsidiary Digital Cyclone. "This service provides tremendous peace-of-mind and possibly life saving assistance when health concerns arise."

"Mayo Clinic's mission has three elements: quality patient care, research to help cure diseases and education," says Roger Harms, M.D., a Mayo Clinic obstetrician/gynecologist and the medical editor-in-chief for MayoClinic.com. "Our education function is not limited to training the next generation of physicians and other medical providers, though. 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."

Using Mayo Clinic InTouch, wireless phone subscribers have a rich health resource directly on their phone. A few keystrokes give consumers immediate access to

* Step-by-step first aid tips
* A Symptom Checker that provides self-care guidelines or advises emergency care for more than 45 common symptoms in adults and children
* More than 100 short health news videos
* Timely health alerts and drug watches.

In addition, subscribers may enter their city or zip code to search for nearby emergency and urgent care facilities from a list of over 3,800 accredited providers. If the cell phone has global positioning system (GPS) capability, it automatically finds the nearest accredited facility without typing the city or zip code. The care center's information is displayed in list format and shows the facility's name, address and estimated distance.

"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 Burfeind. "The Emergency Room Finder even lets you call the hospital with a single keystroke."

Content for the Mayo Clinic InTouch program primarily comes from MayoClinic.com and Mayo Clinic's Medical Edge syndicated news products. Customers can subscribe to the Mayo Clinic InTouch program for $2.99 per month. A list of wireless carriers and phones supported is available at www.digitalcyclone.com/mayo.