Consent and Refusal
Expressed consent
What is it when a conscious, alert adult patient says, “Yes, you can check my blood pressure,” and extends his arm. What type of consent is this?
Duty to Act
What is the EMT’s legal responsibility to provide patient care once dispatched or once care has begun.
Patient history, assessment findings, and treatment provided
What is confidential patient information or Protected health information
DNR
What is an order that gives EMS permission to withhold resuscitative care?
Scope of practice
What is the term that means the care an EMT is legally allowed to provide, usually defined by state law and medical director protocols.
Implied Consent or Emergency Doctrine
What is the legal principle that allows EMTs to treat an unconscious patient with a serious medical condition when the patient cannot give permission.
Negligence
What occurs when an EMT fails to provide the same care that another EMT with similar training would provide in the same situation.
HIPAA
What is the federal law protects patient privacy and requires EMTs to safeguard protected health information.
Dependent Lividity
What is it when blood pools in lowest parts of the body after death
Standard of care
What is how a reasonably prudent EMT with similar training would act under similar circumstances.
Informed refusal or consent
What is when before a patient refuses care, EMTs should explain the treatment, risks, benefits, alternatives, and possible consequences. What type of refusal are EMTs trying to obtain?
Duty, breach of duty, damages, and causation
What are the four elements that must generally be present to prove negligence.
Your partner wants to post about a call on social media, including details that could identify the patient. What should you do?
Stop/report it according to policy because it is a HIPAA and confidentiality violation
Rigor Mortis
What is the stiffing of the body after death
Child abuse, sexual assault, animal bites
What are some mandatory reporting issues
Emancipated Minor
What is it when a minor is married or living independently
Abandonment
What occurs when an EMT stops care without patient consent and without transferring care to an equal or higher-level provider.
A patient tells you he used heroin. Who should receive that information for continuity of care?
The receiving nurse, physician assistant, physician, or appropriate medical provider accepting care
Supportive care, including oxygen and other comfort measures within protocol
What type of care can an EMT give if the pt has a DNR order
Gross negligence
What is it when an EMT knowingly is willful or reckless in treating a patient
A confused diabetic patient initially refuses care, but his blood glucose is 20 mg/dL, and he is combative. Why can EMS treat him?
He lacks decision-making capacity, so implied consent applies because a serious medical condition exists
Negligence per se
What is it when a EMT performs an ALS skill outside the EMT scope of practice and the patient is injured.
“If it wasn’t written down, it didn’t happen”
What is the phrase that means that if an EMT did not document a treatment or action, it may be assumed that it was not done.
Algor Mortis
What is the gradual cooling of the body after death
Assult
What an EMT could be guilty of if he verbally confronts a patient