The purpose of a medical alert system is to provide you or your loved one with a lifeline to assist you in an emergency. These personal emergency response systems are designed to be as easy to use as possible, allowing you to get help even when you are unconscious or unable to move. As such, it is important to find the best medical alert system. Don't be too dramatic, but it can be the difference between life and death. Since 2013, we have been testing and reviewing medical alert systems for a variety of brands. By my estimates, we have: In other words, we are experts in medical alert systems. As such, here are a few notes to keep in mind before we discuss how we test each system: Company is a Service – In most cases, the company you buy your medical alert system from does not make or design the devices. PERS, and does not own or operate the call center. These companies are, in general, sellers of a service. This is not a bad thing. It's just an industry reality. You may have The call center is probably independent - medic alert companies don't like to advertise it, but the call center that handles emergency calls is usually not owned or operated by them. They like to take credit for your call center, but generally have no control over it. That being said, some companies have partnered with call centers so they have some control over quality. The PERS device was made by someone else: either a home or mobile system, the actual product is rented or purchased from a manufacturer. And when you cancel your service, the device is returned, restored, and shipped to a new subscriber. That being said, one popular service, MobileHelp, actually makes its devices. They even rent the devices to other medical alert services. These are important distinctions to make when testing medical alert systems, because often... multiple departments use the same devices and call centers. The only difference in the medical alert system is the branding on the bill.
Call response time
![Sistema de alerta médica]()
We use a stopwatch to measure the speed of service response (Image credit: Future) How fast does the emergency call center take to respond to your call for help? This is, in my opinion, the most important facet of a good medical alert system. Whether you've fallen and broken your hip, suffered a stroke or had a heart attack, seconds count in an emergency. Testing the response time to calls was very easy. We hit the help button and used a stopwatch to time how long it took for an operator to respond. We tested each service at least once a day for three weeks. In fact, we recommend that you run similar tests on your medical alert system once you have one. All you have to do is tell the operator that you just tested the system. You are not charged additional fees and the operators do not get angry. In fact, many will thank you for trying it. The best average response time, according to GreatCall's Mobile Lively, across all tests we conducted, averaged 14 seconds per call. However, on average, most services responded in about 50 seconds. Consistency is also essential. With some services, call response times varied little. Medical Guardian, for example, rarely varied more than three seconds from its 27-second average. However, some services would vary greatly. A call can be answered in 30 seconds one day and five minutes the next. It's not clear why this happens, but according to Robert Wray, CEO of BlueStar SeniorTech, "Call centers are structured so that all alarms are dealt with in order of priority." Medical alert calls, according to Wray, are only answered in case of fire. This is where choosing a service that uses an independent call center can become a problem. Another reason for inconsistencies or longer response times is the automated software call centers use to prioritize incoming calls. If the call center handles many calls from different types of services, the software must prioritize the calls and route the call to an open operator. All of this adds seconds to a call.
Quality of emergency response.
![Sistema de alerta médica]()
We spoke to emergency operators to assess the quality of the interaction (Image credit: Future) Communication is essential with medical alert systems. A good emergency response operator should use a voice and sound that is calm, patient, and concerned for your safety. As such, we evaluate operator behavior with every call we make. We wanted to hear genuine empathy and concern, not a bored operator reading a script. We recorded whether the operator said goodbye, told us have a nice day, or gave us other happy greetings. We also recorded the number of times the operator asked if we were okay. Too often, operators have requested only once or not at all. We also wanted to hear the operator ask us to confirm our identity. The reason is to protect yourself from elder abuse or theft situations. It's unfortunate, but seniors are often the targets of such crimes and by simply asking to confirm the identity, operators can assess whether the senior is in trouble or not.
System quality
![Sistema de alerta médica]()
We test the volume using a decimeter (Image credit: Future) Again, communication is essential. As such, we test both the volume and clarity of speakers installed in home systems and mobile devices. When in an emergency situation, the system must be equipped with a speaker, as many parts may have fallen. It should also be clear so that you can understand the operator. They may have instructions to follow or need you to answer questions, such as whether you are taking specific medications. Many of the medical alert systems we've tested over the years had absolutely horrible speakers. The speaker may be loud, but it's distorted. This is probably because most services reuse the same PERS devices for many years, so the device you own may be over ten years old. If your system's speaker sounds bad, return it to service and order a new one. We have also tested the range and effectiveness of wireless pendants. The average range was around 600 feet, which is more than enough for most homes. And the pendants work regardless of walls or devices in the way. we even put them in the water and squeeze them for help. And they worked. That said, we found the range of wireless pendants to be irrelevant. For example, the Classic Guardian's wireless range was over 2,000 feet in a single test. Impressive of course. However, at this distance that is so far from the base station, any communication with the operators is impossible. And if you find yourself in a situation where you might need help 2,000 feet from home, you're better off using a mobile medical alert device.
Fall detection sensors
![Revisión de LifeFone]()
Fall detection sensors use accelerometers and gyroscopes to detect a fall. (Image credit: Future) Fall detection sensors are an entire subcategory of medical alert systems with many more tests involved. In a nutshell, we have simulated and performed drops several times to test the accuracy of the sensors, which use a combination of accelerometers and gyroscopes to determine the G-forces of a fall. First, I was wearing the fall detection pendant or mobile device as shown and we fell onto a mattress. We have done all kinds of falls. Difficult falls Slow falls Controlled falls. In a separate test, we dropped the sensor from a specific height to see if it would detect a fall. We did this over and over again to see how consistent each sensor was at different heights. The results were for the most part disappointing. Most fall detection sensors are too sensitive, causing many false alarms. And if your loved one has to cancel emergency calls multiple times a day, they'll stop using it. And some weren't sensitive enough, rarely detecting the hardest falls. In general, mobile medical alert systems with an activated fall detection feature were more accurate than a pendant compatible with a home system. So if you really want a fall detection sensor, a mobile PERS device is the way to go. That said, the Apple Watch 4 was the only fall detection sensor we tested with really good fall detection results. (Setting up your Apple Watch 4 or 5 as a medical alert system only takes a few minutes and doesn't cost a monthly subscription.) Testing medical alert systems is all about finding the service that gives you the best chance of getting help quickly and efficiently. The best and most consistent services over the years have been GreatCall, Medical Guardian and MobileHelp. Are you looking for a medical alert system tailored to your needs or those of your loved one? If so, we can help you. Simply follow this link, enter a few details, and we'll send you personalized quotes from leading medical alert system companies. Get a free medical alert system quote now.
Further reading on medical alert systems