Chapter 3 Audio Book Transcript Study

Question 1

What is the primary ethical principle in emergency medical care?

Answer 1

Do no further harm.

Question 2

What is the definition of consent in emergency medical care?

Answer 2

Consent is permission or agreement from a patient to receive treatment.

Question 3

What are the types of consent?

Answer 3

Expressed consent, implied consent, and involuntary consent.

Question 4

What factors influence a patient’s decision-making capacity?

Answer 4

Factors include age, mental limitations, intoxication, pain, language barriers, and understanding of the situation.

Question 5

What is patient autonomy?

Answer 5

The right of a patient to make decisions concerning their health.

Question 6

What is implied consent?

Answer 6

Consent assumed when a patient is unconscious or unable to make an informed decision, based on the presumption they would want care.

Question 7

When can minors consent to medical treatment?

Answer 7

Minors may consent if they are emancipated, married, in the armed forces, or are parents themselves.

Question 8

What does ‘in loco parentis’ mean in emergency care?

Answer 8

It refers to teachers or school officials acting in place of a parent to give consent for treatment when a guardian is unavailable.

Question 9

What are the steps to handle a patient who refuses care?

Answer 9

Assess decision-making capacity, provide clear explanations, encourage treatment, document the refusal, and notify medical control.

Question 10

What is the purpose of a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order?

Answer 10

It allows healthcare providers to refrain from attempting resuscitation if the patient stops breathing or their heart stops.

Question 11

What are the definitive signs of death?

Answer 11

Decapitation, rigor mortis, dependent lividity, and putrefaction.

Question 12

What does the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protect?

Answer 12

It safeguards patient health information and ensures privacy.

Question 13

What is the scope of practice for an EMT?

Answer 13

It defines the care an EMT is legally authorized to provide, as determined by state law and medical directors.

Question 14

What establishes the standard of care for EMTs?

Answer 14

It is determined by statutes, local customs, protocols, medical literature, and case law.

Question 15

What constitutes negligence in emergency medical care?

Answer 15

Failure to provide the standard of care, resulting in harm to the patient.

Question 16

What is abandonment in medical care?

Answer 16

Unilateral termination of care without ensuring a patient is handed over to another competent professional.

Question 17

What legal challenges might arise from transporting a patient against their will?

Answer 17

Accusations of false imprisonment or kidnapping.

Question 18

What is defamation, and how can it occur in EMS?

Answer 18

Defamation involves false communication damaging someone’s reputation, occurring through inaccurate reports or inappropriate comments.

Question 19

What protections do Good Samaritan laws provide?

Answer 19

They shield individuals who provide care in good faith, without gross negligence, from liability.

Question 20

What must EMTs document in a patient care report?

Answer 20

Assessment findings, care provided, patient refusals, and communication with medical control.

Question 21

What are some mandatory reporting requirements for EMTs?

Answer 21

Reporting child abuse, elder abuse, injuries from felonies, communicable diseases, and births outside licensed facilities.

Question 22

What should an EMT do at a crime scene?

Answer 22

Notify dispatch, provide life-saving care, and avoid disturbing evidence.

Question 23

How should an EMT handle ethical dilemmas?

Answer 23

Follow professional ethics, involve medical control, and document actions clearly.

Question 24

What is the role of an EMT in court?

Answer 24

Testify as a witness to provide factual accounts or as a defendant in legal cases.

Question 25

What are compensatory and punitive damages?

Answer 25

Compensatory damages reimburse losses, while punitive damages punish intentional or reckless misconduct.