Ch 3 Objectives

Define consent and how it relates to decision making.

Compare expressed consent, implied consent, and involuntary consent.

Discuss consent by minors for treatment or transport.

Describe local EMS system protocols for using forcible restraint.

Discuss the EMT’s role and obligations if a patient refuses treatment or transport.

Describe the relationship between patient communications, confidentiality, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Discuss the importance of DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) orders and local protocols as they relate to the EMS environment.

Describe the physical, presumptive, and definitive signs of death.

Explain how to manage patients who are identified as organ donors.

Recognize the importance of medical identification devices in treating the patient.

Discuss the scope of practice and standards of care.

Describe the EMT’s legal duty to act.

Discuss the issues and implications of negligence, abandonment, assault and battery, and kidnapping.

Explain the reporting requirements for special situations, including abuse, drug- or felony-related injuries, childbirth, and crime scenes.

Define ethics and morality and their implications for the EMT.

Describe the roles and responsibilities of the EMT in court.