Chapter 5 - Communications

Which of the following questions would be appropriate to ask a patient who has no medical training?

"Do you have any breathing or heart problems?"

Which of the following is an example of a closed-ended question?

"Does the pain radiate to your arm or jaw?"

Which of following statements conveys empathy?

"I understand how difficult this must be. I'm here to help you."

An elderly man states that he is sad and depressed because his wife recently died of cancer. Which of the following statements from the paramedic demonstrates empathy?

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't know how I would feel in your situation, but I am sure it would be similar."

Which of the following statements is an example of providing false reassurance?

"I'm sure that you will be fine, but let us take you to the hospital just to be on the safe side."

Notification of EMS usually occurs when:

A bystander notifies the dispatcher via telephone.

Repeating the key parts of a patient's responses to your questions demonstrates:

Active listening.

If a patient asks for your advice regarding a treatment decision that his or her physician made, you should:

Advise the patient to consult with his or her physician.

Many ___ believe that touching the head may put their soul in jeopardy.

Asians.

When relaying critical information using the situation, background, assessment, and recommendation (SBAR) technique, which component would address the question, "What got us to this point?"

Background.

The purpose of a closed-ended question is to:

Elicit a specific response from the patient.

During the course of your interview, your patient begins making sexual innuendos to you. You should:

Ensure that another paramedic or EMT is present at all times.

When attempting to interview a potentially violent patient, you should:

Ensure that you are positioned between the patient and the door.

Maintaining eye contact with a patient enables the paramedic to:

Evaluate the patient's neurologic status.

If a patient is reluctant to share personal information with you, you should:

Explain why you need his or her name and date of birth.

If a patient provides an inappropriate response to a paramedic's question, it should be assumed that the patient:

Has impaired cerebral function.

When relaying medical information to a physician in person, you should:

Include information that you did not provide during your radio report.

Cellular telephones are more advantageous than regular two-way radios because cellular telephones:

Incorporate GPS technology to help rescuers find the patient.

The use of telemetry to confirm cardiac rhythms before treatment:

Is less common as most EMS systems rely on paramedics to assess the cardiac rhythm and make independent treatment decisions.

The use of ten-codes over the radio:

Is not recommended by the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

What is the purpose of a universal timeout?

It allows time for all providers to silently review important aspects of a procedure with minimal distraction.

What is the benefit of communicating over an assigned tactical channel?

It leaves the main dispatch channel open for other radio traffic.

Before you begin to transmit over the radio, you should check the volume and then:

Listen to make sure that the channel is clear of traffic.

If you want reliable answers to personal questions, you should:

Manage the scene so you can ask such questions quietly and privately.

Which of the following statements regarding 12-lead ECG telemetry is correct?

Most newer systems use facsimile technology to allow transmission of 12-lead ECGs.

Paramedics respond to a dimly lit bar for a woman with chest pain. The jukebox is playing and several patrons are present. What should they do?

Move the patient to the restroom and begin their assessment.

In order for the paramedic to talk and transmit an ECG simultaneously on one frequency a _________ system is required.

Multiplex.

Under the instructions of a good EMD, a layperson should be able to:

Perform chest compressions.

When asking a man a question about his chest pain, he responds in a disorganized manner. What should you do?

Put his response into simpler terms and asks if he agrees with your synopsis.

A patient states, "I can't catch my breath," and the paramedic responds, "You say you can't catch your breath, ma'am?" This is an example of:

Reflection.

A _____________ receives a weak signal and retransmits it at a higher power on another frequency.

Repeater.

If the paramedic is unable to defuse a hostile patient's anger, the paramedic should:

Request law enforcement personnel at the scene.

When communicating medical information via radio, you should be:

Simple, brief, and direct.

In urban settings, radio dead spots MOST often occur in areas with:

Tall buildings.

The use of specialized computer terminals and networks that permit secure two-way transmission of sound, video, ECG tracings, and other diagnostic data is called:

Telemedicine.

When a caller requests EMS in an area that uses an enhanced 9-1-1 system:

The caller's name and address are automatically displayed.

Which of the following is a drawback of using the ten-code system when communicating by radio?

The codes' meanings vary by jurisdiction.

The term "frequency," as it applies to radio communications, is MOST accurately defined as:

The number of oscillations per second of the carrier wave.

Which of the following patient data is NOT typically communicated during your radio report to the hospital?

The patient's ethnicity.

Automatic crash notification (ACN) systems can provide all of the following information about a car crash, EXCEPT:

The principle direction of force at the impact point.

When touching a patient as a form of reassurance, the paramedic should:

Touch the patient on a neutral part of his or her body.

Islamic and Hindu cultures avoid:

Touching with the left hand.

When communicating with a patient whose cultural background differs from the paramedic's, the paramedic should:

Treat the patient with the utmost respect at all times.

The ability of multiple agencies or systems to share the same radio frequency is called:

Trunking.

Sitting a chair next to a patient when conducting your interview promotes:

Trust.

When transmitting information via radio, you should:

Use a normal conversational tone of voice.

Stereotyping an elderly, very young, or hostile patient during your attempt to communicate with him or her:

Works against effective communication.

It would be appropriate to ask a patient as closed-ended question when:

You are trying to obtain medical history information.

If a patient is unable to tell you who he or she is, where he or she is, and what day of the week it is:

You should suspect decreased blood flow to the brain.

When providing patient care, it is MOST important that you maintain effective communication with:

Your partner.