Chapter 3 - Medical, Legal, and Ethical Issues

Question 1

Abandonment

Answer 1

Stopping treatment of a patient without transferring the care to another competent professional of an equal or higher level of training and certification or license.

Question 2

Advance Directive

Answer 2

Instructions written in advance, against resuscitation, signed by the patient, is a legally recognized document.

Question 3

Assault

Answer 3

Willful threat to inflict harm on a patient.

Question 4

Battery

Answer 4

Act of touching a patient unlawfully without their consent.

Question 5

Consent

Answer 5

Permission

Question 6

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)

Answer 6

Federal regulation that ensures the public’s access to emergency health care regardless of ability to pay.

Question 7

Defamation

Answer 7

Release of information to the public in either a written or spoken form that is construed to be damaging to that persons character, reputation, or standing within the community.

Question 8

DNR order

Answer 8

Legal document or order that most often governs resuscitation issues only.

Question 9

Durable power of attorney

Answer 9

AKA Health Care Proxy, designated a person who is legally empowered to make health care decisions for the signer of the document if he is unable to do so for himself.

Question 10

Duty to act

Answer 10

Legal obligation to provide service whether you think the patient needs an ambulance or not.

Question 11

Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA)

Answer 11

Known as the anti-patient dumping statute. Specifically deals with patient seeking medical care for an injury or illness.

Question 12

Expressed Consent

Answer 12

I want to go to the hospital.

Question 13

False Imprisonment

Answer 13

Kidnapping. Intentionally transporting a patient without his consent.

Question 14

Good Samaritan Law

Answer 14

Protects a person who is not being paid for his services from liability for acts performed in good faith unless those acts constitute gross negligence.

Question 15

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Answer 15

Est. 1996. Federal law that protects the privacy of patient health care information and gives the patient control over how the information is distributed and used.

Question 16

Implied Consent

Answer 16

Emergency Doctrine. Occurs when you assume a patient who is unresponsive or unable to make a rational decision would consent to emergency care if he could.

Question 17

Informed Consent

Answer 17

When patient is informed of the care to take place and agrees.

Question 18

Intentional Tort

Answer 18

Action knowingly committed by an individual that is considering civilly wrong according to the law. IE abandonment, assault, battery, false imprisonment, and defamation.

Question 19

Involuntary Consent

Answer 19

Applied when you are dealing with a mentally incompetent adult or with an individual who is in custody of law enforcement or is incarcerated.

Question 20

Libel

Answer 20

Written word of defamation.

Question 21

Living will

Answer 21

Cover more general health issues including long term life support equipment such as ventilators and feeding. A type of advance directive.

Question 22

Minor Consent

Answer 22

Consent to treat a minor. Obtained from parent or legal guardian. Any person under age 18 or 21.

Question 23

Negligence

Answer 23

A tort in which there isn’t intent to harm but it happen.

Question 24

Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)

Answer 24

Medical orders for life sustaining treatment. Designed to allow patient to choose and express the level of treatment they desire in case of deterioration prior to the need for resuscitation. For peeps with like a year left to live.

Question 25

Proximate Cause

Answer 25

Causation. Proof of negligence of EMT causing injuries.

Question 26

Scope of Practice

Answer 26

Actions and care that EMTs are legally allowed to perform by the state in which they are providing emergency medical care.

Question 27

Slander

Answer 27

Spoken words of defamation.

Question 28

Standard of Care

Answer 28

Quality of care that this expected to be provided by an EMT

Question 29

Tort

Answer 29

Wrongful act, injury, or damage.