What should I do if a patient refuses transport?
You should document your patient care and then simply document that the patient was informed of the risks prior to his refusal. Anything extra is unnecessary and wastes time. No report is needed because the patient refused transport and signed the refusal.
Can an individual refuse to accept a treatment or diagnostic intervention?
It stands to reason that an individual who cannot understand what he or she has been told about a proposed treatment or diagnostic intervention is not capable to decide to assent or refuse.
When is treatment over a patient’s objection appropriate?
KP: A simple example of when treatment over a patient’s objection would be appropriate is if a psychotic patient who had a life-threatening, easily treatable infection was refusing antibiotics for irrational reasons. Treatment would save the patient’s life without posing significant risk to the patient.
How would you respond to an 85-year-old patient complaining of difficulty breathing?
You are responding to a nursing home for an 85-year-old patient complaining of difficulty breathing. How would you initiate contact with this patient? Stand near the head of the bed and shout to make sure the patient can hear you.
Which of the following is the best approach for a competent patient who is refusing treatment and transport?
Which of the following is the BEST approach for a competent patient who is refusing treatment andtransport? Make multiple attempts to change the patient's mind.
When you encounter a patient who refuses treatment you should?
When you encounter a patient who refuses treatment, you should: inform the patient of the consequences of that decision.
Under what provision could a paramedic be liable for an EMT's actions?
1799.102. (a) No person who in good faith, and not for compensation, renders emergency medical or nonmedical care at the scene of an emergency shall be liable for any civil damages resulting from any act or omission.
Which of the following scenarios reflects a violation of Emtala?
Which of the following scenarios reflects a violation of EMTALA? A hospital transfers an unstable patient to another facility. If a mentally competent adult refuses emergency medical treatment, your FIRST action should be to: try to determine why he or she is refusing treatment.
What should a nurse do when a patient refuses treatment?
If your patient refuses treatment or medication, your first responsibility is to make sure that he's been informed about the possible consequences of his decision in terms he can understand. If he doesn't speak or understand English well, arrange for a translator.
What actions should a nurse implement when a client refuses a treatment?
If the client refuses a treatment or procedure, the client signs a document indicating that he understands the risk involved with refusing the treatment or procedure and that he has chosen to refuse it. The nurse asks the client to sign an "Against Medical Advice" form and documents the incident.
Can a patient consent to transport but not treatment?
The correct answer is: A. A patient can consent to transport but can legally refuse to be treated.
What are the legal responsibilities of a paramedic?
Paramedics frequently have to balance patient confidentiality and patient safety. Patient information is subject to legal, ethical and professional obligations of confidentiality and should not be disclosed to a third party for reasons other than healthcare, without consent.
What is negligence in EMS?
This refers to the failure to meet the legal duty a paramedic owes to a patient. It involves a lack of care or diligence necessary when administering emergency care to a patient, and it may make a paramedic liable for damages, injury and even wrongful death.
Which of the following patients has the legal right to refuse treatment?
Every competent adult has the right to refuse unwanted medical treatment. This is part of the right of every individual to choose what will be done to their own body, and it applies even when refusing treatment means that the person may die.
When a competent adult refuses medical care it is most important for the paramedic to?
When a competent adult patient refuses medical care, it is MOST important for the paramedic to: ensure that the patient is well informed about the situation at hand.
Under which of the following do emergency medical responders have the legal duty to act?
An EMR has a legal duty to act: While employed by an agency as an EMR. To comply with the standard of care, the EMR must: Treat the patient to the best of his or her abilityand provide care that a reasonable, prudent person with similar training would provide under similar circumstances.
What is the best way for a patient to indicate the right to refuse treatment?
Advance Directives. The best way for a patient to indicate the right to refuse treatment is to have an advance directive, also known as a living will. Most patients who have had any treatments at a hospital have an advance directive or living will.
What are the rights of a patient who refuses treatment?
In addition, there are some patients who do not have the legal ability to say no to treatment. Most of these patients cannot refuse medical treatment, even if it is a non-life-threatening illness or injury: 1 Altered mental status: Patients may not have the right to refuse treatment if they have an altered mental status due to alcohol and drugs, brain injury, or psychiatric illness. 6 2 Children: A parent or guardian cannot refuse life-sustaining treatment or deny medical care from a child. This includes those with religious beliefs that discourage certain medical treatments. Parents cannot invoke their right to religious freedom to refuse treatment for a child. 7 3 A threat to the community: A patient's refusal of medical treatment cannot pose a threat to the community. Communicable diseases, for instance, would require treatment or isolation to prevent the spread to the general public. A mentally ill patient who poses a physical threat to himself or others is another example.
What is the end of life refusal?
End-of-Life-Care Refusal. Choosing to refuse treatment at the end of life addresses life-extending or life-saving treatment. The 1991 passage of the federal Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) guaranteed that Americans could choose to refuse life-sustaining treatment at the end of life. 9 .
How can a patient's wishes be honored?
Another way for a patient's wishes to be honored is for the patient to have a medical power of attorney. This designates a person to make decisions on behalf of the patient in the event they are mentally incompetent or incapable of making the decision for themselves.
What must a physician do before a course of treatment?
Before a physician can begin any course of treatment, the physician must make the patient aware of what he plans to do . For any course of treatment that is above routine medical procedures, the physician must disclose as much information as possible so you may make an informed decision about your care.
What are the four goals of medical treatment?
There are four goals of medical treatment —preventive, curative, management, and palliative. 2 When you are asked to decide whether to be treated or to choose from among several treatment options, you are choosing what you consider to be the best outcome from among those choices. Unfortunately, sometimes the choices you have won't yield ...
Why do patients make this decision?
Patients make this decision when they believe treatment is beyond their means. They decide to forgo treatment instead of draining their bank accounts. Those who live in a country with a for-profit healthcare system may be forced to choose between their financial health and their physical health.
What should you document when a patient refuses to go by ambulance?
You should document everything including all patient care, all of your attempts to persuade the patient to go by ambulance, and who witnessed the patient refusal. You should document your patient care and then simply document that the patient was informed of the risks prior to his refusal.
What happened to the patient who slashed his wrists?
The medical personnel state that the patient had a psychotic episode and slashed his wrists. During the call, the patient claims to hear the voice of God and says that the voice is hurting his ears. The patient refuses to be transported to the emergency department, becomes combative, and bites one of the EMTs.
When transporting a patient who has inhaled poison, what should I do?
When transporting a patient who has inhaled poison, take all containers, bottles, and labels from the substance if it is safe to do so . Do this for poisoning from any substance .
What to do after treating a patient for intoxication?
assess for trauma. After treating the patient for any airway or breathing problems, you should assess for trauma the patient may have incurred because of the intoxication. You would perform the other actions later on. Depressants, such as barbiturates, depress the central nervous system.
Can an EMT miss a narcotic overdose?
It is easy for the EMT to miss other medical conditions or injuries. EMS personnel can miss medical problems and injuries in patients who are chronic alcohol abusers. In a patient who is experiencing tachycardia, hypertension, nausea, and tremors, you should MOST suspect: A . a narcotic overdose.
Can a patient refuse treatment?
A patient under the influence of alcohol cannot make an informed refusal of treatment or transport. If the patient refuses treatment or transport, you should nevertheless treat and arrange for transport of the patient as necessary on the basis of implied consent.
Can a patient under the influence of alcohol refuse treatment?
A patient under the influence of alcohol cannot make an informed refusal of treatment or transport.
Is acetaminophen contraindicated for alcohol abuse?
In a patient suspected of an acetaminophen overdose, it is important to determine if the patient has a history of alcohol abuse because:#N#A.#N#alcohol combined with acetaminophen produces cocaethylene, a dangerous substance.#N#B.#N#acetaminophen is contraindicated for patients with a history of alcohol abuse.#N#C.#N#alcohol potentiates (makes worse) the toxic effects of acetamino phen.#N#D.#N#the two combined often cause an allergic reaction.
What to do if a patient refuses life saving treatment?
If you, and other clinicians involved, believe a patient who is refusing life saving treatment may not be fully competent, you may need to proceed without a completed consent form. Fully document your decision and your reasons. You may also want to contact your risk manager or institutional legal department.
What to address in informed consent discussion?
During the informed consent discussion, address the most serious risks, the less serious risks with a high likelihood of occurring, and any other risks to which your patient attaches significance. Enter documentation of the discussion on either the form or in the patient's medical record.
Why is informed consent important?
Ideally, informed consent discussions build trust and reduce surprise and disappointment if complications or adverse events occur. Informed consent covers general issues of managing an illness and specific procedures being proposed. Completion of a consent form is necessary for most invasive procedures.
When should informed consent be conducted?
When practical, the informed consent discussion should be conducted when you and the patient have time to ask and answer questions, not on the way to the operating room. The process may occur over a period of several discussions, culminating in the signing of a consent form.
Does Harvard require informed consent?
Your Harvard-affiliated institution has written informed consent policies that detail those procedures which require documented informed consent at that institution. Contact your department chairman or patient safety/risk manager for information and any applicable procedure-specific forms.
Is informed consent an ongoing process?
Yes No. Informed consent is an ongoing process inherent in patient care. The underlying principle of informed consent is that patients have the right to be told what to expect and to determine what will be done with their bodies. Through dialogue and discussion with you, your patients become more knowledgeable partners in medical decision-making ...