Chapter 4 Communications & Documentation Flashcards
A low-power radio that communicates through an interconnected series of repeater stations called “cells”.
cellular telephone
A process in which electronic signals are converted into coded, audible signals; these signals can then be transmitted by radio or telephone to a receiver with a decoder at the hospital.
telemetry
VHF and UHF channels that the Federal Communications Commission has designated exclusively for EMS use.
MED channels
Written documents, signed by the EMS system’s medical director, that outline specific directions, permissions, and sometimes prohibitions regarding patient care; also called protocols.
standing orders
A special base station that receives messages and signals on one frequency and then automatically retransmits them on a second frequency.
repeater
Single frequency radio; transmissions can occur in either direction but not simultaneously in both; when one party transmits, the other can only receive, and the party that is transmitting is unable to receive.
simplex
A radio frequency that searches several frequencies until the message is completed; the process is then repeated.
scanner
Radio frequencies between 300 and 3,000 MHz.
UHF (ultra-high frequency
Anything that dampens or obscures the true meaning of a message.
noise
The written portion of the EMT’s patient interaction. This becomes part of the patient’s permanent medical record.
documentation
A special telephone line that is used for specific point-to-point communications; also known as a “hotline”.
dedicated line
The study of space between people and its effects on communication.
proxemics
Questions for which the patient must provide detail to give an answer.
open-ended questions
The legal document used to record all patient care activities. This report has direct patient care functions but also administrative and quality control functions. They are also known as prehospital care reports.
patient care report (PCR)
Telecommunication systems that allow a computer to maximize utilization of a group of frequencies.
trunking
The transmission of information to another person, verbally or through body language.
communication
When a person considers his or her own cultural values as more important when interacting with people of a different culture.
ethnocentrism
Questions that can be answered in short or single word responses.
close-ended questions
A trusting relationship that you build with your patient.
rapport
The ability to transmit and receive simultaneously.
duplex
Small computer terminals inside ambulances that directly receive data from the dispatch center.
mobile data terminals (MDT)
The use of a radio signal and a voice or digital message that is transmitted to pagers (“beepers”) or desktop monitor radios.
paging
Verbal and nonverbal communication techniques that encourage patients to encourage patients to express their feelings and to achieve a positive relationship.
therapeutic communication
An assigned frequency or frequencies that are used to carry voice and/or data communications.
channel
The federal agency that has jurisdiction over interstate and international telephone and telegraph services and satellite communications, all of which may involve EMS activity.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Any radio hardware containing a transmitter and receiver that is located in a fixed position.
base station
When one person imposes his or her beliefs, values, and practices on another because he or she believe his or her ideals are superior.
cultural imposition
Radio frequencies between 30 and 300 MHz; this spectrum is further divided into “high” and “low” bands.
VHF (very high frequency)
