FISDAP EMS Legal and Ethical Principles

Question 1

A competent adult patient with a painful leg fracture refuses transport to the hospital. What is the EMT's most important next step?

Accepted Answer

Ensure the patient is informed of the risks of refusal and have them sign a refusal form

Answer

A competent adult has the legal right to refuse care. The EMT must ensure the patient is fully informed of the potential consequences (including death or serious harm), make a good-faith effort to persuade them to accept care, and then document the informed refusal with a signed form and witness if possible.

Question 2

An EMT arrives to find an unresponsive adult patient with no family present and no advance directive. Under what legal doctrine can the EMT treat the patient without explicit consent?

Accepted Answer

Implied consent

Answer

Implied consent is the legal doctrine that assumes an unconscious or otherwise incapacitated adult would consent to emergency treatment if they were able to do so. It allows EMTs to provide necessary care when the patient cannot express consent.

Question 3

Which of the following actions by an EMT would most likely constitute abandonment?

Accepted Answer

Stopping care and leaving before transferring to an equal or higher level of care

Answer

Abandonment occurs when an EMT unilaterally ends the care relationship without transferring the patient to an equal or higher level of provider. Once care has begun, the EMT is legally obligated to continue until a proper handoff is made.

Question 4

A patient presents with a valid Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order. The patient goes into cardiac arrest. What should the EMT do?

Accepted Answer

Honor the DNR, withhold resuscitation, and provide comfort measures

Answer

A valid DNR order is a legal document that instructs providers not to perform resuscitation. EMTs must honor valid advance directives including DNRs. Providing comfort measures (positioning, oxygen, pain management) is still appropriate.

Question 5

Under HIPAA, which of the following disclosures of patient information is PERMITTED without the patient's authorization?

Accepted Answer

Releasing information to another treating provider for continuity of care

Answer

HIPAA permits disclosure of protected health information (PHI) for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations (TPO) without patient authorization. Sharing information with other treating providers directly involved in the patient's care falls within the treatment exception.

(FISDAP) Field Internship Student Data Acquisition Project Practice Test

(FISDAP) Field Internship Student Data Acquisition Project Practice Test

FISDAP EMS Legal and Ethical Principles