MEDICAL CONTROL: On-line medical control is the physician that can be contacted for direct orders in any special situation where the EMS provider may have a concern. Medical control can be located at the receiving facility or at a separate site, depending on local protocol and guidelines.

Online medical control can be utilized in a variety of situations, such as:

• When a patient's condition is not improving or is deteriorating despite treatment
• When a patient requires medication or treatment that is outside the EMS provider's scope of practice
• When a patient requires a specific intervention or procedure that is not normally performed by the EMS provider's level of certification
• When there is uncertainty about the appropriate course of treatment for a patient's condition
• When a patient's condition is complex or requires a specialized approach
• When there is a need for additional guidance or advice from a physician or other medical professional.

EMS professionals may need to contact medical control for consultation and to receive orders for administration of medications and must be sure of absolute accuracy.

1. After receiving an order for a medication or procedure,
2. the EMS professional should repeat the order back word-for-word.

Orders that are unclear or appear to be inappropriate should be questioned or clarified by the EMS professional and clarified by medical control.

EMS professionals should never administer medications or attempt procedures that are out of their respective scopes of practice. In the case that a medication order or procedure has been ordered that is out of the EMS professional's scope of practice, it is the duty of the EMS professional to inform medical control of this fact and request additional orders.

If an EMS professional administers medications or performs procedures out of their scope of practice, it will be the EMS professional--not medical control--that will be liable.

Online medical control can be utilized in a variety of situations, such as:

When a patient's condition is not improving or is deteriorating despite treatment
When a patient requires medication or treatment that is outside the EMS provider's scope of practice
When a patient requires a specific intervention or procedure that is not normally performed by the EMS provider's level of certification
When there is uncertainty about the appropriate course of treatment for a patient's condition
When a patient's condition is complex or requires a specialized approach
When there is a need for additional guidance or advice from a physician or other medical professional.

Medical control is responsible for providing direct orders in emergency situations where EMS providers may have concerns about patient care. This can include situations such as administering medications or performing procedures that are outside the scope of practice for EMS providers.

When contacting medical control, EMS providers should be sure to have accurate and up-to-date patient information and be prepared to provide a clear and concise report of the patient's condition. After receiving an order from medical control, it is essential to repeat the order back word-for-word to ensure accuracy. This step helps to avoid errors that can occur due to miscommunication or misinterpretation of orders.

If an order is unclear or appears to be inappropriate, EMS providers should question or clarify the order with medical control before proceeding. This step helps to avoid potentially dangerous situations and ensures that the patient receives the correct treatment.

It is important to note that EMS providers should never administer medications or perform procedures that are outside their respective scopes of practice. If an order is given that is outside of the provider's scope of practice, they must inform medical control of this fact and request additional orders. Administering medications or performing procedures outside of one's scope of practice can result in serious harm to the patient and legal consequences for the provider.