Legalities & HIPPA copy.ppt

Legalities Medical, Legal, and Ethical issues  Objectives Scope of Practice Consents and Refusals Legal Aspects of our job  Scope of Practice The actions and care that EMT’s are legally allowed to perform by the state in which they are providing...

Legalities Medical, Legal, and Ethical issues  Objectives Scope of Practice Consents and Refusals Legal Aspects of our job  Scope of Practice The actions and care that EMT’s are legally allowed to perform by the state in which they are providing emergency medical care  Standard of Care The care that is expected to be provided by an EMT with similar training when managing a patient in a similar situation The “Reasonable Person Standard”  Duty to Act Your legal obligation to provide service, whether you think the patient needs an ambulance or not. At crime scenes your priority is patient care. Duty to Self, Partner, Equipment  Good Samaritan Laws Protects a person who is not being paid for his services from liability for acts performed in good faith unless those acts constitute gross negligence Does not protect you from being sued.  San Diego County Hospitals 3 types – Basic Emergency Facilities (BEF) – Trauma Centers – Specialty Hospitals  Medical Direction Provide: – Standing orders – Base Hospital Orders – Base Hospital Physician Orders  Medical Direction Must be able to contact them: – Radio – Cell Phone or landline  Medical Direction Contact for orders – Treatment – Patient disposition  Base Hospitals Staffed with a specially trained nurse to take reports and give medical direction Paramedics are assigned a single base hospital EMT’s contact receiving hospital unless they need medical direction  Base Hospitals Palomar Hospital Tri-City Medical Center Sharp Memorial Scripps Memorial La Jolla Scripps Mercy Hospital UCSD Hillcrest Sharp Grossmont  Trauma Centers Palomar Sharp Memorial Scripps Memorial La Jolla Scripps Mercy UCSD Hillcrest Rady’s Children’s Hospital  Specialty Hospitals UCSD Hillcrest – Burns – Hyperbarics – Children’s backup Rady’s Children’s Hospital – Pediatrics  Consent By law, the adult conscious, competent, and rational patient has the right to accept or refuse emergency medical care.  Informed Consent A conscious, rational patient who consents to your assessment and treatment Also known as “expressed consent”  Implied Consent Your assumption that a patient who is – Unresponsive - – Disoriented - – A minor without guardian consent - Would accept care if he could Also applies to a patient who initially refuses care then becomes unresponsive  Consent to Treat a Minor