Chapter 4 - Medical, Legal, and Ethical Issues Flashcards
abandonment
leaving a patient after care has been initiated and before the patient has been transferred to someone with equal or greater medical training
advance directive
a DNR order; instructions written in advance of an event
assault
placing a person in fear of bodily harm
battery
causing bodily harm to or restraining a person
confidentiality
the obligation not to reveal information obtained about a patient except to other health care professionals involved in the patient’s care or under subpoena or in a court of law or when the patient has signed a release of confidentiality
duty to act
an obligation to provide care to a patient
ethical
regarding a social system or social or professional expectations for applying principles of right and wrong
expressed consent
consent given by adults who are of legal age and mentally competent to make a rational decision with regard to their medical well-being
Good Samaritan laws
a series of laws, varying by state, designed to provide limited legal protection for citizens and some health care personnel when they are administering emergency care
HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a federal law protecting the privacy of patient-specific health care information and providing the patient with control over how this information is used and distributed
implied consent
the consent it is presumed a patient or patient’s parent or guardian would give if they could, such as for an unconscious patient or a child whose parents cannot be contacted when care is needed
in loco parentis
literally ‘in place of a parent,’ indicating a person who may give consent for care of a child when the parents are not present or able to give consent
liability
being held legally responsible
libel
false, injurious information in written form
moral
regarding personal standards or principles of right and wrong
consent
permission from the patient for care or other action by the EMT
crime scene
the location where a crime has been committed or any place that evidence relating to a crime may be found
do not resuscitate (DNR) order
a legal document, usually signed by both patient and physician, which states that the patient has a terminal illness and does not wish to prolong life through resuscitative efforts
negligence
a finding that there was failure to act properly in a situation in which there was a duty to act, that needed care as would reasonably be expected of the EMT was not provided, and that harm was caused to the patient as a result
organ donor
a person who has completed a legal document that allows for donation of organs and tissues in the event of death
Physician’s Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)
physician orders that state not only the patient’s wishes regarding resuscitation attempts but also the patient’s wishes regarding artificial feeding, antibiotics, and other life-sustaining care if the person is unable to state the person’s desires later
res ipsa loquitur
a Latin term meaning ‘the thing speaks for itself’
safe haven law
a law that permits a person to drop off an infant or child at a police, fire, or EMS station or to deliver the infant or child to any available public safety personnel. The intent of the law is to protect children who may otherwise be abandoned or harmed
scope of practice
a set of regulations and ethical considerations that define the scope, or extent and limits, of the EMT’s job
slander
false, injurious information stated verbally
standard of care
for an EMT providing care for a specific patient in a specific situation, the care that would be expected to be provided by an EMT with similar training when caring for a patient in a similar situation
tort
a civil, not a criminal, offense; an action or injury caused by negligence from which a lawsuit may arise
