Chapter 3 Terms

Question 1

Abandonment

Answer 1

Ending the care of an injured or ill person without obtaining that patient’s consent or without ensuring that someone with equal or greater training will continue care.

Question 2

Advance directive

Answer 2

A written instruction, signed by the patient and physician, which documents a patient’s wishes if the patient is unable to communicate his or her wishes.

Question 3

Applied ethics

Answer 3

The use of ethics in decision-making, applying ethical values.

Question 4

Assault

Answer 4

A crime that occurs when a person tries to physically harm another in a way that makes the person under attack feel immediately threatened.

Question 5

Battery

Answer 5

A crime that occurs when there is unlawful touching of a person without the parson’s consent.

Question 6

Competence

Answer 6

The patient’s ability to understand the EMR’s questions and the implications of the decisions made.

Question 7

Confidentiality

Answer 7

Protection of a patient’s privacy by not revealing any personal patient information except to law enforcement personnel or EMS personnel caring for the patient.

Question 8

Consent

Answer 8

Permission to provide care; given by an injured or ill person to a responder.

Question 9

Do no harm

Answer 9

The principle that people who intervene to help others must do their best to ensure their actions will do no harm to the patient.

Question 10

Do not resuscitate

Answer 10

A type of advance directive that protects a patient’s right to refuse efforts for resuscitation.

Question 11

Durable power of attorney for health care

Answer 11

A legal document that expresses a patient’s specific wishes regarding his or her health care; also empowers an individual, usually a relative or friend, to speak on behalf of the patient should he or she become seriously injured or ill and unstable to speak for him or herself.

Question 12

Duty to act

Answer 12

A legal responsibility of some individuals to provide a reasonable standard of emergency care.

Question 13

Ethics

Answer 13

A branch of philosophy concerned with the set of moral principles a person holds about what is right and wrong.

Question 14

Expressed concent

Answer 14

Permission to receive emergency care granted by a competent adult verbally, nonverbally or through gestures.

Question 15

Good Samaritan laws

Answer 15

Laws that apply in some circumstances to protect people who provide emergency care without accepting anything in return.

Question 16

Health care proxy

Answer 16

A person names in a heath-care directive, or durable power of attorney for health care, who can make medical decisions on someone else’s behalf.

Question 17

Implied consent

Answer 17

Legal concepts that assume a patient would consent to receive emergency care if he or she were physically able or old enough to do so.

Question 18

In good faith

Answer 18

Acting in such a way that the goal is only to help the patient and that all actions are for that purpose.

Question 19

Legal obligation

Answer 19

Obligation to act in a particular way according to the law.

Question 20

Living will

Answer 20

A type of advance directive that outlines the patient’s wishes about certain kinds of medical treatments and procedures that prolong life.

Question 21

Malpractice

Answer 21

A situation in which a professional fails to provide a reasonable quality of care, resulting in harm to patient.

Question 22

Medical futility

Answer 22

A situation in which a patient has a medical or traumatic condition that is scientifically accepted to be futile should resuscitation be attempted - the patient should be considered dead on arrival.

Question 23

Moral obligation

Answer 23

Obligation to act in a particular way in accordance with what is considered morally right.

Question 24

Negligance

Answer 24

The failure to provide the level of care a person of similar training would provide, thereby causing injury or damage to another.

Question 25

Next of kin

Answer 25

The closest relatives, as defined by state of law, of a deceased person; usually the spouse and nearest blood relatives.

Question 26

Patient’s best interest

Answer 26

A fundamental ethical principle that refers to the provision of competent care, with compassion and respect for human dignity.

Question 27

Refusal of care

Answer 27

The declining of care by a competent patient; a patient has the right to refuse the care of anyone who responds to an emergency scene.

Question 28

Standard of care

Answer 28

The criterion established for the extent and quality of an EMRs care.

Question 29

Surrogate decision maker

Answer 29

A third party with the legal right to make decisions for another person regarding medical and health issues through a durable power of attorney for health care.