West Coast EMT Block One Exam

The EMT is legally obligated to protect a patient's privacy according to _____________.

1. A. APGAR

2. B. CQI

3. C. HIPAA

4. D. DCAP

The correct answer is: C. HIPAA

The obligation of an EMT to protect a patient's privacy is governed by HIPAA, which stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This federal law was enacted to ensure the privacy and security of individuals' medical information. Under HIPAA, healthcare providers, including EMTs, must take steps to safeguard patient information, ensuring it is only shared with authorized individuals for designated purposes, such as treatment or payment. This law embodies the principle of confidentiality and mandates that patients have the right to access their medical records and control who their information is shared with. In contrast, other options do not pertain to patient privacy: APGAR refers to a rapid method of assessing the health of newborns immediately after birth; CQI stands for Continuous Quality Improvement, focusing on enhancing healthcare processes and outcomes but not directly on privacy; and DCAP is an acronym used for assessment in trauma, highlighting deformities, contusions, abrasions, punctures, and burns, which does not relate to patient privacy either. Thus, HIPAA is specifically designed to protect patient privacy, making it the correct answer.