Does a patient have the right to refuse?

Does the patient have the right to refuse treatment based upon the provider's gender?

  • No

    Votes: 6 11.3%

  • Yes, if a female patient and the provider is male

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Yes, if a male patient and the provider is female

    Votes: 1 1.9%

  • Yes, regardless of the gender's involved.

    Votes: 46 86.8%
  • Total voters
    53
If they can consent and have been properly informed, then they can refuse for whatever reason they want to, race, gender, bad breath, bad hairstyle...
 
Wow.. we're back on the always/never, black/white, yes/no issues again.

Yes someone has the right to refuse based on gender.. but there's a whole lot of gray associated with the situation. A professional demeanor, solid skills and a mature way of dealing with people showing respect and intelligence is going to go a long way towards overcoming a patient's reticence to be treated by any age/gender/race etc.

Being able to address a pts sensitivities should be a skill we all possess. Making them feel more at ease in a scary sitatuation is much of what we do. So it doesn't mean that all hurt women will need a woman to treat them. Of course if its an option easily met and you have one responder who is going to have fewer hurdles to hop before being able to provide care it certainly makes sense to let them treat the pt.

Not being able to provide the pt's dream responder as far as age, experience level, gender etc doesn't mean you immediately act like a jerk and tell them.. tough :censored: honey.. take what you get.
 
A patient always has the right to refuse, as long as they fall under the criteria for refusing treatment.
 
So I managed to scan a copy of our refusal form. It's pretty self explanitory, just go down the list in the green section, check the appropriate box in the yellow section. Have pt read the middle section (also in spanish on the back), then get the appropriate signatures, and a witness when possible.


scan0001.jpg
 
Does the patient have a right to refuse, so long as they are CAOx4 and not a danger to themselves or others? Yes. If I feel they have a serious medical condition, they'll refuse AMA and I'll be calling the doc first - but they can legally refuse.

If the patient is justifiably a danger to themselves or others, and/or the patient isn't CAOx4, then I might be able to work with law enforcement to have them transported
 
Jon said:
Does the patient have a right to refuse, so long as they are CAOx4 and not a danger to themselves or others? Yes.
Click to expand...

That is not the standard. The patient must also comprehend the risk of refusing care, and it's up to the EMT or paramedic to explain the risk in terms the patient can understand. In fact, we shouldn't even use the term "refusal" without the word "informed" in front of it, and telling every patient they might die if they refuse transport does not cut it.
 
"I/We witness that the patient has refused treatment/transport
to the ED. I/We have advised the patient to consult with his/her
own doctor as soon as possible or should his/her condition
deteriorate to call for the assistance of an emergency
ambulance"

Sign............................

PIN (1).........................
PIN (2).........................
or report back to Control.



That is all i sign, either they sign it or both of the crew does, we try to get a relitive to sign too for the heck of it.




But i dont think this is what was ment in the orgiginal thread, will you send out a female/male crew then.?
 
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