Radio Equipment & FCC
Handheld radio operating with a low power output between 1 and 5 watts.
What is a portable radio?
Word used on the radio instead of "yes" to ensure clear communication.
What is "affirmative"?
Verbal handover given directly to an ED nurse or doctor upon arriving at the receiving facility.
What is an oral report?
Clue: Question type, such as "How are you feeling?", designed to encourage broad detailed responses.
Answer: What is an open-ended question?
Technical term for nonverbal communication expressed through physical touch.
What is haptics?
Central dispatch and coordination center operating at high power output between 80 and 150 watts.
What is a base station?
Clue: Communication technique of repeating medical orders word-for-word back to the physician.
Answer: What is the echo method?
Transmission sent to the hospital prior to arrival containing patient demographics, chief complaint, vitals, and treatment response.
What is a pre-arrival report?
Clue: Question type, such as "What medications do you take?", used to elicit specific factual details.
Answer: What is a closed question?
First step an EMT must take when encountering hostile or aggressive patients.
What is ensuring scene safety (or requesting law enforcement)?
Federal agency that allocates frequencies, licenses stations, and limits transmitter power.
What is the FCC (Federal Communications Commission)?
Standardized communication format standing for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation.
What is SBAR?
Action an EMT must take if online medical direction issues an order that appears inappropriate.
What is questioning the order?
Therapeutic technique where the EMT repeats part of what the patient said to encourage elaboration.
What is reflection?
Key communication adaptation required when interviewing child patients.
What is using simple language (or involving parents)?
Device that receives low-power radio signals and rebroadcasts them at a higher power level to extend range.
What is a repeater?
Length of time an EMT should wait after pressing the Push-to-Talk (PTT) button before speaking.
What is 1 second?
Primary operational advantage of using radio codes over plain English.
What is shortening airtime (or maintaining privacy)?
Communication pitfall where an EMT promises a patient everything will be fine, damaging trust.
What is false reassurance?
Cultural bias an EMT must avoid where one's own culture is viewed as superior to others.
What is ethnocentrism?
System capability used to transmit ECG readings and vital signs directly to receiving facilities via radio or Bluetooth.
What is telemetry?
System of tracking time on radio transmissions used to maintain strict accuracy.
What is military time?
Two elements strictly prohibited during open radio transmissions.
What are patient identifiers and profanity?
The two foundational steps that make up the communication process model.
What are encoding and decoding?
Two specific adjustments recommended when communicating with elderly patients.
What are speaking clearly, allowing extra time, or using sensory aids?