EMT Chapter 4 Medical, Legal, and Ethical Issues
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 20. Good Samaritan laws do not prevent someone from initiating a lawsuit, nor will they protect the rescuer form being found liable for acts of gross negligence and other violations of the law.
F
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 3. An unconscious patient must regain consciousness before any consent can be granted and treatment can begin.
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 4. Expressed consent must be obtained from patients who are physically or mentally able to give it.
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 5. It is not legally necessary to explain all procedures to the conscious patient.
Remember what you touch, avoid messing up footprints, wear gloves, only move items if absolutely necessary, and work with the police
List five actions you can take to help police by preserving evidence at a crime scene. (can also refer to book for different answers)
The EMT had a duty to act, did not provide standard of care, and proximate causation
List three conditions that must be proven for a legal finding of negligence against an EMT.
B
Once the police have made the scene safe, the priority of the EMT at a crime scene is to: A. preserve evidence B. provide patient care C. contact dispatch D. assist the investigation
D
A DNR order is one example of a(n): A. Good Samaritan law B. confidentiality agreement C. warrant D. advance directive
DNR order
A _____ _____ is an advance directive that prevents unwanted resuscitation.
A
A person whom the signer of a document names to make health-care decisions in case the signer is unable to make such decisions for himself or herself is called a(n): A. proxy B. assistant C. designated agent D. heir
B
Refusal to go to a hospital may be a form of _____, or unwillingness to accept the idea of illness. A. revenge B. denial C. acceptance D. bargaining
B
Simply stated, liability means: A. moral responsibility B. legal responsibility C. ethical responsibility D. referred responsibility
Duty to act
An EMT who is on an ambulance and is dispatched to a call clearly has a(n) _____ _____ _____.
D
An EMT's obligation in certain situations to provide care to a patient is referred to as a(n): A. agency B. surrogate's role C. proxy D. duty to act
A
Statutes that allow a person to abandon his or her personal duties and legally drop off a child to an EMS station or other public safety building are called: A. safe haven laws B. Amber laws C. Ryan White laws D. free parent laws
Ethical
The primary _____ consideration within the EMT's scope of practice is to make patient care and well-being a priority.
Parents guardians
When dealing with children and mentally incompetent adults, the _____ and _____ have the legal authority to give consent.
Emancipated
_____ minors are those who are married or granted legal adult status to provide consent.
B
A legal document, usually signed by the patient and his physician, stating that the patient has a terminal illness and does not wish to prolong life through resuscitative efforts is called a(n): A. surrogate statement B. DNR order C. codicil D. unspecified treatment order
Organ donor
A(n) _____ _____ is a patient who has completed a legal document that allows for that patient's organs and tissues to be used by others in the event of his or her death.
Crime scene
A(n) _____ _____ is a place where a crime has been committed or any place that evidence relating to a crime may be found.
C
Authority granted to a teacher or other adult by a child's parents to make treatment decisions in their absence is called: A. habeus corpsus B. implied consent C. in loco parentis D. informed consent
Expressed consent
Consent given by adults who are of legal age and mentally competent to make a rational decision in regard to their medical well-being is called _____ _____.
B
EMS personnel can treat unconscious patients because the law holds that rational patients would consent to treatment if they were conscious; this principle is known as: A. expressed consent B. implied consent C. emergency consent D. actual consent
Negligence
Failure to provide the standard of care is one of three elements that must be proved in a case involving a charge of _____ against an EMT.
D
If a jury finds that an EMT had a duty to a patient, that he failed to carry out that duty properly, and that his action caused harm to the patient, the EMT would be guilty of: A. failure to act B. libel C. fraud D. negligence
Release form
If all efforts fail and the patient does not accept your care or transportation, you must have the patient sign a(n) _____ _____.
B
If an EMT forces a competent patient to go to the hospital against his or her will, the EMT may be charged with: A. misprision B. assault C. neglect D. breach of duty
Abandoned
If the EMT is off duty and begins care, then leaves the patient before other trained personnel arrive, he may be considered to have _____ the patient.
C
If you discover that a critically injured patient is an organ donor, as an EMT you should: A. not provide further care B. verify the organ donor card C. notify the staff at the hospital D. notify the police
Care
In many states, an off-duty EMT has no legal obligation to provide _____.
Unconscious
In the case of a(n): _____ patient, consent to treat may be assumed.
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 1. Within the scope of practice of an EMT the primary ethical consideration is to make patient care and well-being a priority, even if this requires some personal sacrifices.
F
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 10. If an EMT follows the appropriate steps when treating patients who refuse care, it is a guarantee that he will be free from liability.
F
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 11. An EMT may be able to "arrest" a patient who refuses care in order to provide necessary treatment. (only law enforcement can arrest)
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 12. In all cases of refusal, the EMT should advise the patient to feel free to call back at any time if he has a problem or wishes to be cared for or transported.
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 13. A DNR order is an actual legal document.
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 14. It is better to be criticized or sued for saving a life than for letting a patient die.
F
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 15. In most cases the oral requests of a family member are a sufficient reason to withhold care.
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 16. Patient refusal is a major cause of legal actions against EMS systems or EMTs.
F
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 17. Lawsuits against EMTs are actually quite common.
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 18. An EMT's duty to act continues throughout the call.
f
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 19. The duty to act is always clear in the situations that EMTs face.
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 2. Consent, or permission from the patient, is required for any treatment or action by the EMT.
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 6. Emergency care for a patient identified as an organ donor should not differ from the care provided to any other patient.
F
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 7. Children and mentally, incompetent adults are legally allowed to provide consent for their treatment.
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 8. Patients who are mentally competent have the right to refuse medical care.
T
Indicate if the following statements are true or false by writing T or F in the space provided. 9. A release form is designed to protect health-care providers from liability arising from the patient's informed refusal of treatment and transport.
B
Leaving a patient after care has been initiated and before the patient has been transferred to someone with equal or greater medical training is known as: A. assault B. abandonment C. false imprisonment D. proximate cause
D
Legislative measures intended to provide legal protection for citizens and some health-care personnel who administer emergency care are known as: A. First Responder laws B. EMS Acts C. Helping Hands legislation D. Good Samaritan laws.
child abuse, domestic abuse, and rape
List at least three types of incidents that many states require health-care professionals to report to authorities. (can also refer to book for different answers)
Speak with the patient, listen to why they are refusing care, inform them of the consequences of not going to the hospital, and consult medical direction
List four actions you might take to convince a patient who is refusing care to accept transport to a hospital. (can also refer to book for different answers)
Mental status and vital signs
List two things that must be monitored frequently when transporting a restrained patient.
Improper restraint
Many lawsuits that allege negligence often involve claims of _____ _____ during involuntary transports.
Hotlines and laws
Many localities have _____ _____ _____ for reporting child, elderly, or domestic, abuse.
D
Mentally competent adults of legal age who accept care from an EMS crew are said to give: A. guardian consent B. implied consent C. emergency consent D. expressed consent
A
Minors who are married or of a certain age and who are legally able to give consent for medical care are known as: A. emancipated B. practiced C. released D. responsible
D
The extent and limits of the job that the EMT does are referred to as: A. duty to act B. professional practice C. limits of liability D. scope of practice
Written release
The only time that confidential information about a patient may be disclosed is when the patient has signed a(n) _____ _____.
C
The principle that information about a patient's history, condition, or treatment must not be shared with unauthorized parties is called: A. duty to withhold B. breach of duty C. confidentiality D. disclosure
Microscopic evidence
The term _____ _____ describes a wide range of things usually invisible to the naked eye that can be found by investigators at a crime scene.
Awake and fully cognitive
To refuse care, a patient must be _____ _____ _____ _____ and understand the risks of rejecting treatment.
D
When a patient refuses care, he or she must sign a(n): A. codicil B. insurance rider C. DNR order D. release form
Implied consent
When an unconscious patient is so severely injured that his condition is life threatening, the EMT may treat the patient under the doctrine known as _____ _____.
Good Samaritan
_____ _____ laws have been developed in most states to provide immunity to individuals trying to help others in emergencies.