Patient Privacy

[Kls]

Yah i am just jumping in here and hello everyone!!

Your thoughts .......

You are called to a fight at a bar and you find your patient bleeding from the nose and head, patient stops breathing and ALS is started. You look up and see about 4 people taking pictures of the patient ( all drunk idiots) and your job is not only to keep the patient alive but also his right to privacy. There is no law against some moron getting their jollies off this way but it just makes me crazy :x

Anyone else have this happen at a scene?

[Chief1C]

Yeah, Newspaper reporters..

Try stopping that mess, you're better off not saying anything. Reporters and "Free This Free That" folks get really defensive.

[Kls]

We tired to stop it as we have done before but when you are faced with about 50 drunks ,2 cops ( that just stood there)

Well i tried not saying anything but a few things did slip :x The thought of seeing this person who did die on the net just bothers me to no end .

[Just Plain Ruff]

sorry but if you are in a public place when this happens then it's free for all. You and the patient have no expectation of privacy in a public place.

[newmee]

Most of the responses are correct unfortunately there are only a few things you can do to try and preserve the patient's privacy. You can do your best but the best you can do is quickly package up the patient and get them into your ambulance where you can control the environment. The other thing is try to get the police involved as needed by keeping the crowds back and allowing you to do your job. I have found most cops prefer not to do your job and faced with the possibility of holding back drunks or getting there hands dirty with patient care most cops prefer to hold back the drunks

[Dustdevil]

Advice to all EMS: Ignore the media. They're doing a job, just like you. And I hate to tell you this, but their job is none of your business, however your job IS their business. Just do your job the best you can, and hope they get your best side in the picture.

And no, it is not your job to protect your patient's privacy, especially in a public place they chose to be in in the first place. Where in the world would you get that silly idea? Your only concern with their privacy is in not releasing any of their personal information, verbally or otherwise. Their face is not personal information, and it is NOT your job to hide it for them.

If somebody is truly interfering with your job, that's different. Tell the cops to kick some arse. But if you think it is our job or the cops job to hassle the media, you watch too much television.

As always, if your EMT or paramedic school did not teach you something -- whether it be hassling the media, or taking pictures yourself -- then that means it is not your job. Let it go.

[VentMedic]

Words of advice: Don't work at Disney or any large tourist attraction. Or, do not have an emergency of your own at Disney or any large tourist attraction.

For any "emergency" from a scraped knee to a cardiac arrest, you will have at least 100 tourists thinking it is part of some event that isn't listed on their brochure. There will be at least 100 cameras snapping pictures, people commenting inappropriately about the "show" and cheering even if the patient is pronounced dead at scene or in the back of an ambulance (not on the golf cart EMSmobile - death with dignity at least).

The one thing working in Florida has taught me through the years is to look professional in public view even if you don't have a clue as to what you are doing.

[AnthonyM83]

I wish cops would do something about it. It's so distracting having a bright light shined in your face at 3AM as you're trying to balance a gurney over the freeway gutter and onto the ambulance.

[Kls]

know what you all are saying and the news media , i can even excuse them but my beef is with these idiots and there cell phones taking pics of someone in a , shall i say exposed way and their last moments of life. You would think these idiots would have some moral bones in their heads that taking pics of this dying person in just wrong. Wonder how they will feel one day if its someone they know.

This should be against the law cause its just sick and wrong ,and to me ,morbid :x

[unknown]

know what you all are saying and the news media , i can even excuse them but my beef is with these idiots and there cell phones taking pics of someone in a , shall i say exposed way and their last moments of life. You would think these idiots would have some moral bones in their heads that taking pics of this dying person in just wrong. Wonder how they will feel one day if its someone they know.

This should be against the law cause its just sick and wrong ,and to me ,morbid :x

Bare in mind you stated they where all drunk morans with cell phones- I think that line speaks for it's self. Is it ok or moral, or right? Well NO! However when in Rome.........

The fact that you responded to a Bar I can't say one could expect much else out of a group of drunks that just finished a brawl. Welcome to the cruel side of the world we work in.