QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Medical Director - CORRECT ANSWER physician who is legally responsible for the clinical
and patient care aspects of an EMS system
Medical Direction - CORRECT ANSWER medical policies, procedures, and practices that are
available to EMS providers either off-line or on-line
Off-line medical direction - CORRECT ANSWER medical policies, procedures, and practices
that medical direction has established in written guidelines
On-line medical direction - CORRECT ANSWER direct orders from a physician to a
prehospital care provider given by radio or telephone
Protocols - CORRECT ANSWER the policies and procedures for all components of an EMS
system. Also called orders or standing orders
Standing orders - CORRECT ANSWER preauthorized treatment procedures; a type of
treatment protocol
Abandonment - CORRECT ANSWER the act of discontinuing emergency care without
ensuring that another health care professional with equivalent or better training will take over
Advance Directive - CORRECT ANSWER instructions written in advance, such as a DNR
order, a living will, or a durable power of attorney
Assault - CORRECT ANSWER a willful threat to inflict harm on a person
Battery - CORRECT ANSWER the act of touching a person unlawfully without his consent
Implied Consent - CORRECT ANSWER the assumption that in a true emergency in which a
patient who is unresponsive or cannot make a rational decision is at a significant risk of death,
, disability, or deterioration of a condition, that patient would agree to emergency treatment. aka
emergency doctrine
Expressed Consent - CORRECT ANSWER permission that must be obtained from every
conscious adult who has the capacity to understand and make a reasoned judgment before emergency
treatment can be provided
Involuntary Consent - CORRECT ANSWER consent that is assumed when the patient either
lacks the capacity to understand and make a reasoned judgment or is legally not permitted to make his
own medical decisions
Informed Consent - CORRECT ANSWER consent for treatment that is given by a patient who
has the capacity to understand and make a reasoned judgment based on full disclosure or possible
risks and consequences
Minor Consent - CORRECT ANSWER permission obtained from a parent or legal guardian for
emergency treatment of a minor or an adult who has been legally ruled mentally incompetent
AMA - CORRECT ANSWER (Against Medical Advice)
Duty to Act - CORRECT ANSWER the obligation to care for a patient who requires it (in
service)
Scope of Practice - CORRECT ANSWER the actions and care that an EMT is legally allowed
to perform, as typically defined by state laws
Standard of Care - CORRECT ANSWER emergency care that would be expected to be given to
a patient by any trained EMT under similar circumstances
DNR - CORRECT ANSWER (Do not resuscitate order) legal doc signed by patient and
physician that indicates medical personnel which, if any, life-sustaining measures should be taken
when the patient's heart and respiratory functions have ceased