Is a Patient aloud to refuse treatment or offer of Transport?

[scubanurse]

Okay, thank you guys.

I'm 15, and wish I had my own cards, and insurance cards, so I did have the choice to refuse transport though. Gotta figure out how to get it..

Having your own insurance cards makes no difference... You're a minor---you go to the ER unless your parent or guardian says no. But really I'm with Ruff on this... you've come on here for medical advice for a cold and now you're questioning about this...what's really going on???

[Lone Star]

You could always take legal proceedings and become an Emancipated Minor.

The emancipated minor must take care of his or her own financial affairs and prove he or she has the ability to support himself or herself. The emancipated minor is still obligated to attend school and still cannot marry without parental consent.

In a nutshell, this means that at 15 years old, you'll have to get a job, find a place to live, and be able to support yourself. You're not able to have mom & dad 'foot the bill' and take care of you from the point of emancipation forward.

In most cases, this strains or destroys the relationship between parent and child. Are you REALLY ready for this type of 'fallout'?

[Mateo_1387]

The other exception to this is minors with no parent or guardian present. If the patient is a minor and there is no guardian present to refuse for the patient, usually we must transport. If they are emancipated or otherwise legally independent then that is treated the same as an adult patient. No parents though means the kids gotta go to the ER under implied consent. That is assuming the parents are there they would want them to be evaluated by a doctor in the emergency department.

Be careful about just taking children to the ER because the parents are not around to consent. You should honestly search for and read the laws of your state to determine what enables you to just take a child to the hospital.

For my state, North Carolina, what I have been able to read for my own eyes, (and I will paraphrase too) is that minors can only be treated if the parent consents to treatment or if the patient is experiencing an acute medical problem, that without treatment right away, would cause significant harm to the patient in the case the parent is not available to consent.

Just be careful with this sticky issue.

[Chief1C]

The emancipated minor must take care of his or her own financial affairs and prove he or she has the ability to support himself or herself. The emancipated minor is still obligated to attend school and still cannot marry without parental consent.

In a nutshell, this means that at 15 years old, you'll have to get a job, find a place to live, and be able to support yourself. You're not able to have mom & dad 'foot the bill' and take care of you from the point of emancipation forward.

In most cases, this strains or destroys the relationship between parent and child. Are you REALLY ready for this type of 'fallout'?

Well, if he is really that worried about refusing treatment. He could always leave the scene. Voila. GOA. Available.

[fiznat]

These rules vary significantly from state to state, so keep in mind if you want information that pertains specifically to your situation you are going to have to look up your local law instead of asking on a (multi) national forum. Generally, though, the right to refuse medical care is somewhat limited for minors.

[VentMedic]

Okay, thank you guys.

I'm 15, and wish I had my own cards, and insurance cards, so I did have the choice to refuse transport though. Gotta figure out how to get it..

Why? Do you really believe you are qualified at 15 with medical professionals about your medical needs? Do you believe your parents do not know what is best for you? What are going going to say when you go to court? Bash your parents as incompetents?

[stcommodore]

So heres what happens when you "unoffically" tell a drug seeking system abuser your not taking himbto hospital x. He starts calling 911 in front of you. This is a perfect example of a pt with a primary care issue who called two nights in a row and no kind of "refusal of transport" or other protocal would have worked.

[joesph]

Ok what about a MVA victim with a significant MOI accepts transport but refuses to be immobilized appropriately (backboarded ect.)? Oh yes and they are A&O x 4.

[crotchitymedic1986]

In this day of cellular technology, it is difficult to not find a parent for a minor. Usually, when this occurs, the minor is at school or day-care, and in most states the teachers/principals of the school are deemed "guardians" for all of the children while on that property, and can make choices regarding transport to the hospital or not. As far as emancipated children, all they have to do is get pregnant.

[HERBIE1]

In this day of cellular technology, it is difficult to not find a parent for a minor. Usually, when this occurs, the minor is at school or day-care, and in most states the teachers/principals of the school are deemed "guardians" for all of the children while on that property, and can make choices regarding transport to the hospital or not. As far as emancipated children, all they have to do is get pregnant.

Yeah, but once a pregnant minor has her baby, she goes back to being a minor. She is the legal guardian of her child, but she is still legally a minor.

I've spoken to parents on the phone, but playing devil's advocate here, honestly, how do you know if the person you are speaking to is really a parent?

I've received "consent" to transport via a phone, but I don't recall ever having a parent refuse transport for their child in this manner.

Exception to above- in a school situation where a child has a minor problem, and the parent says they are on their way to pick the child up. The school then takes responsibility for the child until the parent arrives. Medical control has never had a problem in cases like that, but it's also not explicitly spelled out in our policies. Just another one of those grey areas we occasionally need to deal with...