Public Health Law Map - Beta 5 - Medical and Public Health Law Site

within sight of the victim, and one of them heads toward the victim. The others stay
away so as not to complicate the rescue. The original rescuing boat now has a duty to
continue the rescue because it has interfered with the victim’s chance to get other
help. In the same way, once a physician stops to help at an accident, the help must be
continued until the patient may be safely transferred to another medical care provider
or until the patient is no longer in need of medical attention.
Physicians should be careful not to interfere with other persons who have superior
skills for the task at hand. If there is ambulance service available, it should be
summoned. The paramedic on the ambulance may be much better at resuscitation
than the physician is. And a veterinarian with an active farm practice may be a much
better candidate for delivering a baby than an internist who has not seen a delivery in
20 years. The internist should stand by, however, in case the veterinarian needs
advice or assistance in the care of a human.
Physicians should not be offended if they are asked to provide identification at the
scene of an accident. All emergency professionals are plagued by people who join in
the excitement. Following the fire brigade is as old as organized fire fighting;
impersonating a police officer has been criminalized because it is common and
dangerous to society. There are also people who impersonate physicians in hospitals
and at the scenes of accidents. Many states provide wallet-sized copies of the
medical license to use as identification. Physicians should understand the need for
such identification and be willing to provide it.
Although physicians do not have a duty to carry medical equipment with them, it is
recommended that they carry basic equipment when traveling. If the physician does
volunteer help in an emergency, it is extremely disconcerting not to have the
necessary tools available. Many emergency medical technicians, nurses, and doctors
keep first-aid equipment in their cars or at home because they do not want to be in an
emergency situation without the equipment necessary to save a life. This is especially
important for physicians who practice in small towns where there are no paramedics
with a readily available and fully equipped ambulance.
Once a physician has assumed the care of a patient in an emergency, the duty to the
patient does not end until the patient is assured of proper follow-up care. If the
patient is taken away by ambulance, it is wise to notify the hospital that the patient is
coming and to pass on medical information. A follow-up call to make sure the patient
arrived is also a good idea. Unless there is no question of undetected injury, the
patient should not be allowed to assume that the roadside care is all that is required.
An emergency room record with notations from the physician at the scene will
improve the quality of care a patient receives if late complications develop.
Physicians may be faced with rendering emergency care in a state where they are not
licensed. The drowning on the beach, the car accident, or the call for a physician in
the air terminal may expose the vacationing physician to the need to practice
medicine without a license. Considerations of licensure should not stop a physician
from saving a life. The physician should make a good-faith effort to help and should
turn the case over to qualified medical personnel as soon as possible. The same rules
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