Chapter 4, Medical, Legal, and Ethical Issues

Upon completion of this chapter and related course assignments, students will understand laws and ethics applicable to prehospital emergency care. Students will be able to differentiate among personal, professional, and medical ethics including the role of each in providing prehospital care. Students will be familiar with the United States legal system and terms specific to criminal, civil, and employment law relevant to the paramedic and EMS system. Students will be able to describe legal accountability of the paramedic as a professional health care provider. Students will be able to explain expectations of the paramedic in patient encounters as it relates to consent and treatment of the patient, including how to protect against negligence claims and awareness of the rights of patients to determine extent of care provided.