EMT Chapter 1: EMS Systems

An individual who has training in specific aspects of advanced life support, such as intravenous therapy, and the administration of certain emergency medications.

Advanced EMT (AEMT)

The length of the ___ course ranges from 200 to 400 hours; this training teaches skills such as IV therapy, the use of advanced airway adjuncts, and the knowledge and skills necessary to administer a limited number of medications.

Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)

A device that detects treatable life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias (ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia) and delivers the appropriate electrical shock to the patient.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

Which of the following is an example of secondary prevention?

Cervical spine immobilization is an example of secondary prevention because secondary prevention attempts to limit the effects of an injury or illness that cannot be prevented.

A health care model in which experienced paramedics receive advanced training to equip them to provide additional services in the prehospital environment, such as health evaluations, monitoring of chronic illnesses or conditions, and patient advocacy.

Community Paramedicine

In ___, providers receive advanced training in areas including performing health evaluations and administering immunizations.

Community Paramedicine

An individual who has extensive training in advanced life support, including endotracheal intubation, emergency pharmacology, cardiac monitoring, and other advanced assessment and treatment skills.

Paramedic

Public health examines the health needs of entire populations. In the United States, public health focuses on education and what else?

Prevention

Advanced life-saving procedures, some of which are now being provided by the EMT.

Advanced Life Support (ALS)

This act of legislation protects people with disabilities from being denied access to programs and services that are provided by state or local governments.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Comprehensive legislation that is designed to protect people with disabilities against discrimination.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

A process in which a person, an institution, or a program is evaluated and recognized as meeting certain predetermined standards to provide safe and ethical care.

Certification

Which of the following is the process in which a person, institution, or program is evaluated and recognized as meeting predetermined standards to provide safe and ethical care?

Certification

An individual who has training in basic life support, including automated external defibrillation, use of a definitive airway adjunct, and assisting patients with certain medications.

EMT

At what EMS provider level is an individual who has training in basic life support, including automated external defibrillation, use of a definitive airway adjunct, and assisting patients with certain medications?

EMT

A system that assists dispatchers in selecting appropriate units to respond to a particular call for assistance and provides callers with vital instructions until the arrival of EMS crews.

Emergency Medical Dispatch

___ training provides skills necessary to initiate immediate care and focuses on providing immediate BLS and urgent care with limited equipment.

Emergency Medical Responder

A trained professional, such as police officer, firefighter, lifeguard, or other rescuer, who may arrive first at the scene of an emergency to provide initial medical assistance.

Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)

A multidisciplinary system that represents the combined efforts of several professionals and agencies to provide prehospital emergency care to the sick and injured.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

The ___ course requires approximately 150 hours (more in some states) and provides the essential knowledge and skills required to provide basic emergency care in the field.

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

What is the primary role of the EMT?

Ensure personal safety

The process whereby a competent authority, usually the state, allows people to perform a regulated act.

Licensure

Which of the following entities controls licensure of EMTs?

Licensure is controlled by the state in which the EMT practices.

Physician instructions given directly by radio or cell phone (online/direct) or indirectly by protocol/guidelines (off-line/indirect), as authorized by the medical director of the service program.

Medical Control

A ___ determines appropriate care by establishing a set of written standing orders and protocols.

Medical Director

The physician who authorizes or delegates to the EMT the authority to provide medical care in the field.

Medical Director

Which of the following agencies is the source of the EMS Agenda for the Future, the multidisciplinary national review of all aspects of EMS delivery?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

T/F Evidence-based research is the primary means to determine if changes need to be made in patient care.

True.

T/f ALS-level instructors and directors must hold a four-year degree.

True.

An example of teamwork and diplomacy is:

being able to communicate while giving respect to the listener.

The roles and responsibilities of an EMT include all of the following EXCEPT: performing a patient assessment. upholding medical and legal standards. providing legal advice to patients. ensuring and protecting patient privacy.

providing legal advice to patients.

Which of the phases of being an emergency health care provider is continuous?

Continuing medical education

A system of internal and external reviews and audits of all aspects of an EMS system aimed at improving outcomes.

Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)

What is continuous quality improvement (CQI) and how is it used to help ensure the safety of patients?

Continuous quality improvement is a circular system of continuous internal and external reviews and audits of all aspects of an EMS system. By looking at all the components of an EMS system, the CQI process seeks to identify areas that need improvement and enables the problems to be resolved through remediation and training rather than through punitive measures.

An established process to determine the qualifications necessary to be allowed to practice a particular profession, or to function as an organization.

Credentialing

Which organization developed and published the first curriculum that served as the guideline for EMT training?

DOT developed and published the first curriculum that served as the guideline for EMT training in the early 1970s.

An approach to medicine where decisions are based on well-conducted research, classifying recommendations based on the strength of the scientific evidence; also called science-based medicine.

Evidence-Based Medicine

T/F The development of airbags in vehicles is an example of primary prevention.

False. The development of airbags in vehicles is an example of secondary prevention.

T/F The focus of the public health arm of health care is education.

False. The focus of the public health arm of health care is prevention.

What is the purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)?

HIPAA limits the availability of a patient's health care information.

Which of the following statements about health care in the United States is true?

Health care in the United States is expensive but does not necessarily provide better health outcomes.

Federal legislation passed in 1996. Its main effect in EMS is in limiting availability of patients' health care information and penalizing violations of patient privacy.

Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountabilty Act (HIPAA)

Professional attributes include which of the following?

Honest behavior; a clean, well-groomed persona; respecting others

The delivery of medication directly into a vein.

Intravenous (IV) Therapy

A method of delivering health care that involves providing health care within the community rather than at a physician's office or hospital.

Mobile Integrated Health Care (MIH)

In ___, an integrated team of health care professionals delivers health care services and connects patients with other resources.

Mobile Integrated Health Care (MIH)

A document created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that outlines the skills performed by various EMS providers.

National EMS Scope of Practice Model

Which of the following agencies is the federal source for the model EMT scope of practice and education standards?

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The _____ completes an extensive course of training that lasts from 1,000 to more than 1,300 hours, which significantly increases knowledge and mastery of basic skills and covers a wide range of ALS skills

Paramedic

Efforts to prevent an injury or illness from ever occurring.

Primary Prevention

The designated area in which the EMS agency is responsible for the provision of prehospital emergency care and transportation to the hospital.

Primary Service Area

The branch of medicine that is focused on examining the health needs of entire populations with the goal of preventing health problems.

Public Health

A call center, staffed by trained personnel who are responsible for managing requests for police, fire, and ambulance services.

Public Safety Access Point

___ can be reached by dialing 9-1-1.

Public Safety Access Point

Oversight by the medical director to ensure the appropriate medical care standards are met by EMTs on each call.

Quality Control

The responsibility of the medical director to ensure that the appropriate medical care standards are met by EMTs on each call is called:

Quality Control

Why is EMS research a vital part in the evolution of patient management?

Research provides data that identify treatments that are beneficial and/or lifesaving for trauma patients and those that are not. Participation in EMS research empowers the EMT to help shape the future of trauma care.

Efforts to limit the effects of an injury or illness that you cannot completely prevent.

Secondary Prevention

Which of the following is an example of secondary prevention? Cardiac arrest management Administering vaccines Teaching pool safety when finding someone who slipped and fell near a pool by running Teaching safety in schools

Teaching pool safety when finding someone who slipped and fell near a pool by running