Chapter 3 Flashcards
To help protect patients, EMS agencies are required to have __________.
a privacy officer to answer questions
Why is documentation important?
It is difficult to prove actions were performed if they are not included on the report.
True or false
A patient can consent to transport but can legally refuse to be treated.
True
Which type of consent is involved when a 39-year-old mentally competent female with a severe headache asks you to take her to the hospital?
Expressed
You arrive at the scene of a motor vehicle-versus-pedestrian accident. The patient, a 13-year-old male, is unconscious and has multiple injuries. As you are treating the child, a law enforcement officer advises you that the child’s parents will be at the scene in approximately 15 minutes. What should you do?
Transport the child immediately and have the parents meet you at the hospital.
When is forcible restraint permitted?
When the patient poses a significant threat to self or others
In which of the following circumstances can the EMT legally release confidential patient information?
The patient is competent and signs a release form
Which aspect of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) MOST affects EMS personnel?
Protecting patient privacy
During your monthly internal quality improvement (QI) meeting, you review several patient care reports (PCRs) with the staff of your EMS system. You identify the patient’s name, age, and sex, and then discuss the treatment that was provided by the EMTs in the field. By taking this approach to the QI process, you:
are in violation of HIPAA because you did not remove the PHI from the PCR beforehand.
You respond to the home of a 59-year-old man who is unconscious; has slow, shallow breathing; and has a weak pulse. The family states that the patient has terminal brain cancer and does not wish to be resuscitated. They further state that there is a DNR order for this patient, but they are unable to locate it. You should:
begin treatment and contact medical control as needed.
You and your partner arrive at the scene of a major motor vehicle crash. The driver, a young male, is severely entrapped in his car. He has an open head injury and massive facial trauma. He is unresponsive, is not breathing, and does not have a palpable carotid pulse. You should:
have your partner check for a pulse to confirm that the patient is deceased.
Putrefaction is defined as:
decomposition of the body’s tissues.
Where would you MOST likely find information regarding a patient’s wishes to be an organ donor?
Driver’s license
The EMT’s scope of practice within his or her local response area is defined by the:
medical director
When performing his or her duties, the EMT is generally expected to:
exercise reasonable care and act prudently.
