Emergency Medical Services

(a)   Supervision of certified EMT-Paramedics providing services within the practice of medicine shall be by:

(1)   Standing orders for life-threatening situations where morbidity or mortality may be increased without immediate medical
        intervention approved:

(A)   By the department of health for emergencies requiring immediate life-saving medical care; and
(B)   By the chief of the emergency department of a designated MEDICOM hospital; and

(2)   Emergency physicians at a State-designated MEDICOM base station hospital who communicate with emergency medical 
        services personnel via radio or telephone and provide medical direction on-site and in-transit to a medical facility in
        accordance with the knowledge and skills required for State-certified treatment, transfer, and triage protocols approved by
        the State department of health.

(b)   Responsibility of EMT-Paramedics. Advance life-support treatment shall rest with the EMT-Paramedic and the physician and:

(1)   Recognition is to be made that the designated emergency physician’s communications are dependent on accurate and
        precise description of medical assessment by EMT-Paramedics, since the physician is not physically present at the scene;
(2)   Recognition is to be made that the emergency physician communicating with EMT-Paramedics is dependent upon the 
        skills of the EMT-Paramedic in performing procedures as directed, since the physician is not physically present at
        the scene; and
(3)   If the emergency physician is not compensated for the communication by the patient, the ambulance service, or the 
        hospital, the emergency physician is deemed to be acting in good faith as a good samaritan and is to be protected by
        Hawaii State law as performing a good samaritan act.

       [ Eff. 4/27/83; am and comp 7/27/87; comp 10/28/89; comp 8/25/90; am and comp 12/22/97]
       (Auth: HRS § 453-33) (Imp: HRS §§453-32, 663-1.5)