This expanded role builds on the skills and preparation of the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedic, with the intention of fulfilling the health care needs of those populations with limited access to primary care services. Practical decision-making strategies are provided and illustrated by brief examples. At this time, using police powers seemed to be the last option available to ensure John's safety and treatment. Therefore, consideration of these effects is part of how they treat patients and make decisions. The disclosure of confidential information, as well as the announcement of personal data about patients, supposes administrative and even criminal responsibility (Steer, 2007). title = "Ethics and law in paramedic practice: Boundaries of capacity and interests". Not surprisingly, the paramedics encounter many ethical and legal dilemmas as a part of their professional activities. This was because of current UK law and a lack of access to a GP respectively. This paper aims to analyze the ethical and legal issues in paramedicine and examine the probable solutions. The practitioners should have the required level of education and work experience to deal with the patients in the most effective and quality manner. Often, a person's capacity to consent to care is presumed intact until such a time that the patient refuses treatment, which appears to be in their best interest (Jones et al, 2014). In any case, the role of paramedics consists in the elimination of harmful aspects of patients ethical decisions as well as protection of their legal freedom and choice. They must also deliver care that is consistent with ethical standards and respectful of the expectations, preferences and beliefs of the patient. U2 - https://doi.org/10.12968/jpar.2020.12.10.CPD1, DO - https://doi.org/10.12968/jpar.2020.12.10.CPD1, JO - Journal of Paramedic Practice: the clinical monthly for emergency care professionals, JF - Journal of Paramedic Practice: the clinical monthly for emergency care professionals. A recent topic of concern has been the extent to which paramedics and other health and care professionals are required to report instances of known or suspected child abuse or neglect (Foster, 2020). It can be used by . To get things started, we give a rundown of the most recent research on ethical issues in sports medicine. However, paramedics must be aware that it is a medical event that is occurring and the person is generally not being held for criminal reasons. Law and Ethics for Paramedics: An Essential Guide Authors: Georgette Eaton University of Oxford Abstract Providing a clear and concise overview of applied law and ethics to UK paramedic. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like As an EMT, the standards of emergency care are often partially based on: A. A complex range of personal, medical, social and environmental factors may contribute to older people being vulnerable. This can make the balance of patient care and patient autonomy exceedingly difficult to strike, and lead to a number of ethical and legal dilemmas for paramedics (Townsend and Luck, 2009). A person is not to be treated as unable to make a decision unless all practicable steps to help him to do so have been taken without success. It means that all actions taken by the practitioners should demonstrate positive effects on the patients and improve their health conditions. For paramedics, this requires careful thought on how transport and referral dispositions may affect the care and wellbeing of the other vulnerable person. However, what should paramedics do when their intended, evidence based course of treatment is different from the patients own wishes? Neglect or ill treatment of a person who lacks capacity (including older people) is a criminal offence in the UK (Mental Capacity Act 2005, section 44). They identify and direct the work of the paramedical practices as well as determine all possible ways of interacting and communicating with patients (Bledsoe et al., 2006). Sign up to Journal of Paramedic Practices regular newsletters and keep up-to-date with the very latest clinical research and CPD we publish each month. This paper highlights some of the ethical dilemmas that face practising clinicians in their everyday life and restates how useful the General Medical Council guidance is to make appropriate decisions. John scored low risk on the Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee (JRCALC) self-harm and suicide assessment tool (JRCALC, 2006), but could still be vulnerable to other dangers such as neglect or accidental involvement in incidents such as walking out in front of cars when in a confused state (Azakan and Taylor, 2009). The complexity of mental illness means a person's capacity can fluctuate so they may lose or regain capacity at different stages of their illness. If a person is then deemed to have capacity and continues to refuse care, paramedics are forced to balance their duty to protect life against the patient's right to make autonomous decisions (Hodgson, 2016). Indeed, there is an argument that if we are to expect an improvement in the way emergency services manage mental health presentations and safeguard a vulnerable patient group, emergency services must be provided with the relevant tools and training to do so (Brown, 2014). Principles of consent, autonomy, beneficence, malfeasance 4 Current UK law that relates to . Overview Fingerprint Abstract Principlism is arguably the dominant recognised ethical framework used within medicine and other Western health professions today, including the UK paramedic profession. Among the most significant and complicated ethical dilemmas in nursing, it is possible to distinguish the problem of euthanasia, abortion, truth-telling as opposed to deliberate deception, and freedom contrary to control. However, in this case the crew on scene were unable to utilise any sections of MHA, nor could they arrange for an MHA assessment by other professionals. This article "Legal and Ethical Aspects of Paramedic Practice" shall discuss one of these ethical issues. Mental illness can be a challenging vulnerability for clinicians to navigate. This case report highlights the potential difficulties and complications associated with the management of mental health incidents for ambulance crews (Parsons and O'Brien, 2011) as well as how potentially confusing the ethical and legal aspects are when managing mental health conditions that require some involuntary form of treatment (Townsend and Luck, 2009). People with mental illness may also be vulnerable because their illness may sometimes render them unable to make some decisions or, like older patients, their decision-making ability fluctuates. In other words, this principle requires minimizing the negative outcomes of treatment and maximizing its positive results. Least restrictive option and maximising independence - Where it is possible to treat a patient safely and lawfully without detaining them under the Act, the patient should not be detained. This article addresses these questions by exploring the relationship between healthcare ethics, health law and evidence-based practice in paramedicine.". The question of justice is another part of the paramedical performance. Some people with a disability may only be capable of autonomy in choices about low acuity or minor treatment, but not about more serious conditions. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like As an EMT, the standards of emergency care are often partially based on: Select one: A. B. crew control. The use of the other sections of the MHA can require much more time (Hawley et al. A significant ethical consideration for clinicians when treating older patients is their capacity. Where decisions are taken which are contradictory to views expressed, professionals should explain the reasons for this. Decision making in this environment is intended to provide care and treatment in the best interests of the patient. Disclosure of errors; quality improvement activities; the practice of defensive medicine; dealing with patients who wish to leave against medical advice; provision of . | The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) (2016, section 7.3: 8) requires that paramedics must take appropriate action where they have concerns about the safety or well-being of children or vulnerable adults. A person is not to be treated as unable to make a decision merely because he makes an unwise decision. The Department of Constitutional Affairs (2007) states that a person's ability to make decisions to protect themselves must always be in balance with their civil right to make such decisions. A patient who is treated by paramedics may be vulnerable because they lack the capacity to consent to treatment or, if they do have the capacity to consent to treatment, they lack the ability (or avenues) to express their worries about that treatment, or to defend themselves in circumstances where their consent has been misinterpreted. Practice in a manner consistent with a code of ethics for registered nurses. Elder abuse is often perpetuated by family members, friends and care workers (Biggs et al, 2009). abstract = "Decision-making is central to the everyday practice of paramedicine. For example, some people with conditions such as cerebral palsy may appear to have an intellectual disability that precludes decision-making capacity, where in fact they have no cognitive disability, only communication difficulties. Ethical issues are closely intertwined with legal aspects of care and this module will therefore consider the four ethical principles, focusing on the two key principles of autonomy and . A sixth theme of ethical complexity was pervasive across these five themes. Purpose and effectiveness - Decisions about care and treatment should be appropriate to the patient, with clear therapeutic aims, promote recovery and should be performed to current national guidelines and/or current, available best practice guidelines. In the second article, potential conflicts between autonomy and beneficence in relation to end-of-life care were explored (Carver et al, 2020). The patient, who will be called John for confidentiality purposes, presented to the ambulance service with an altered mental state. Section 136 allows a police officer to remove a person from a public place to a place of safety if they believe them to be suffering from a mental health condition and at risk of harm to themselves or others (Hawley et al. They must also deliver care that is consistent with ethical standards and respectful of the expectations, preferences and beliefs of the patient. They may need to consider whether community rapid response services or home GP visits are appropriate, whether additional support services should be organised or if they may need to ensure family members or friends visit the patient in a timely manner. This can explain why paramedics also report feelings of confusion surrounding the MCA and a lack of confidence in utilising it (Amblum 2014).