| A | B |
|---|
| Designated agent | an EMT-B or other person authorized by a Medical Director to give medications and provide emergency care. The transfer of sch authorization to a designated agent is an extension of the Medical Director's license to practice medicine. |
| Medical direction | oversight of the patient care aspects of an EMS system by the Medical Director |
| Off-line medical direction | consists of standing orders issued by the Medical Director that allow EMT's to give certain medicationsor perform certain procedures without speaking to the Medical Director or another physician. |
| On-line medical direction | consists of orders from the on-duty physician given directly to an EMT-B in the field by radio or telephone. |
| Medical Director | a physician who assumes the ultimate responsibility for the patient care aspects of the EMS system |
| 911 | a system for telephoneaccess to report emergencies. A dispatcher takes the information and alerts EMS or the fire or police departments as needed. |
| Enhanced 911 | has the additional capability of automatically identifying the caller's phone number and location |
| protocols | lists of steps, such as assessment and interventions, to be taken in different situations. Protocols are developed by teh Medical Director of an EMS system |
| quality improvement | a process of continuous self-review with the purpose of identifying and correcting aspects of the system that require improvement |
| standing orders | a policy or protocol that is issued by a Medical Director that autorizes EMT-Bs and others to perform particular skills in certain situations |
