chapter 4

Question 1

Duty to Act

Answer 1

• You must proceed promptly to the scene and render emergency medical care within the limits of your training and available equipment
• Failure to respond or render care leaves you and your agency vulnerable to legal action

Question 2

Standard of Care

Answer 2

is the way you must act or believe

Question 3

Standard of Care meet two criteria

Answer 3

• You must treat the patient to the best of your ability.
• You must provide care that a reasonable, prudent person with similar training
  would provide under similar circumstances

Question 4

Scope of Care

Answer 4

• U.S Department of Transportation First Responder Educational Standards
• Medical protocols or standing orders
• Online medical direction

Question 5

3 Consent for Treatment

Answer 5

1. Expressed Consent
2. Informed Consent
3. Implied Consent

Question 6

Expressed Consent

Answer 6

• The patient lets you know, verbally or non-verbally, that he or she is willing to
  accept treatment.
• The patient must be of legal age and able to make a rational decision.

Question 7

Informed Consent

Answer 7

The patient understands who you are, what you want to do, and what has happened and allows you to treat them.

Question 8

Implied Consent

Answer 8

• The patient does not specifically refuse emergency care.
• Does not hesitate to treat an unconscious patient.
• The law assumes that if in the right state of mind these people would consent to
  emergency care and therefor allows you to treat these people.

Question 9

Massachusetts DO or DO NOT Resuscitate (DNR) Protocols and Comfort Care/ DNR MA
MOLST

Answer 9

NOT

Question 10

what forms is Massachusetts currently transitioning to using? MOLST Form

Answer 10

MOLST Form

Question 11

Massachusetts Comfort Care/ DNR Protocols

Answer 11

If a first responder (police officer) encounters one of these forms, they should:
1) Confirm the identity of the individual with the CC/DNR Order Verification Form.
2) Confirm that the CC/DNR Order Verification for is current and valid (Original or Copy is
accepted).
3) If the form is valid, and the patient is in cardiac arrest, DO NOT resuscitate.
4) If the form is not current and valid, begin resuscitation.
5) A patient may revoke a CC/DNR at any time.

Question 12

Massachusetts Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST)

Answer 12

is a medical order form (similar to a prescription) that relays instructions between
health professionals about a patients care.
- is based on an individual’s rights to accept or refuse medical treatment

Question 13

MOLST form must contain

Answer 13

Box D and E of the form must be fully completed for page 1 to be considered
valid – which is all that is relevant for EMS personnel.
3) order that has an expiration date or revocation date that is in the past is not
valid.

Question 14

Abandonment

Answer 14

occurs when a trained person begins emergency care and then leaves the
patient before another trained person takes over.

Question 15

You cannot assume a person is dead unless one of these conditions exists:

Answer 15

o Decapitation
o Rigor Mortis
o Tissue Decomposition
o Dependent Lividity

Question 16

Negligence

Answer 16

a patient sustains further injury or harm because the care administered did not meet the standard of care.

Question 17

Negligence conditions

Answer 17

a. Duty to Act
b. Breach of Duty
I. Providing improper/insufficient care
II. Providing care that you are not trained/authorized to provide.
c. Resulting Injuries
d. Proximate Caus

Question 18

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA)

Answer 18

strengthens laws for the protection of the privacy of health care information and safeguards patient confidentiality

Question 19

Law Enforcement Exceptions to HIPA

Answer 19

To respond to a request for protected health information (PHI)for purposes of identifying or
locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person;

Question 20

limit disclosures of PHI

Answer 20

a. Name and address
b. Date and place of birth
c. Social Security Number
d. ABO blood type and rh factor
e. Type of injury
f. Date and time of treatment
g. Date and time of death
h. A description of distinguishing physical characteristics

Question 21

Good Samaritan Law

Answer 21

1. Protects citizens from liability for errors or omissions in giving good-faith emergency
   care.
2. Massachusetts General Law Chapter 112, §12V – Exception of certain individuals
   rendering emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation from civil liability.
   First Responder Student Lesson Plan 31
   a. Any person who in good faith, attempts to render emergency care including, but
   not limited to, cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillation, and does so
   without compensation shall not be liable for acts or omissions, other than gross
   negligence or willful or wanton misconduct, resulting from the attempt to render
   such emergency care.
   b. On 2/20/2014 this law changed to include off duty Police, Fire, and EMS
   personnel