Comprehensive legislation that is designed to protect individuals with disabilities against discrimination.

A device that detects treatable life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia (ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia) and delivers the appropriate electrical shock to the patient.

Noninvasive emergency lifesaving care that is used to treat medical conditions, including airway obstruction, respiratory arrest, and cardiac arrest.

A process in which a person, an institution, or a program is evaluated and recognized as meeting certain predetermined standards to provide sage and ethical patient care,

A health care model in which experienced paramedics receive advanced training to equip them to provide additional services in the prehospital environment, such as health evaluations, monitoring of chronic illnesses or conditions, and patient advocacy.

A system of internal and external reviews and audits of all aspects of an EMS system.

A system that assists dispatchers in selecting appropriate units to respond to a particular call for assistance and in providing callers with vital instructions until the arrival of EMS crews.

An established process to determine the qualifications necessary to be allowed to practice a particular profession, or to function as an organization.

The first trained individual, such as a police officer, fire fighter, lifeguard, or other rescuer, to arrive at the scene of an emergency to provide initial medical assistance.

A multidisciplinary system that represents the combined efforts of several professionals and agencies to provide prehospital emergency care to the sick and injured.

An approach to medicine where decisions are based on well-conducted research, classifying recommendations based on the strength of the scientific evidence; also called science-based medicine.

Federal legislation passed in 1996. Its main effect in EMS is in limiting availability of patients' health care information and penalizing violations of patient privacy.

The delivery of medication directly into a vein

The process whereby a competent authority, usually the state, allows people to perform a regulated act.

Physician instructions that are given directly by radio or cell phone (online/direct) or indirectly by protocol/guidelines (off-line/indirect), as authorized by the medical director of the service program.

The physician who authorizes or delegates to the EMT the authority to provide medical care in the field.

A method of delivering health care which involves providing health care within the community rather than at a physician's office or hospital.

A document created by the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) that outlines the skills performed by various EMS providers.

An individual who has extensive training in advanced life support, including endotracheal intubation, emergency pharmacology, cardiac monitoring, and other advanced assessment and treatment skills.

Effort to prevent an injury or illness from ever occurring.

The designated area in which the EMS service is responsible for the provision of prehospital emergency care and transportation to the hospital.

Focused on examining the health needs of entire populations with the goal of preventing health problems.

A call center, staffed by trained personnel who are responsible for managing requests for police, firefighting, and transportation to the hospital.

The responsibility of the medical director to ensure that the appropriate medical care standards are met by EMTs on each call.

Efforts to limit the effects of an injury or illness that you cannot completely prevent.

an individual who has training in specific aspects of advanced life support, such as intravenous therapy, and administration of certain emergency medications.