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Children with Special Healthcare Needs=

 

Poli= cy:

 

Medical technology, changes in the healthcare industry, = and increased home health capabilities have created a special population of patients that interface with the EMS system.  It is important for <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">EMS to understand and provide quality care to child= ren with special health care needs.

 

Purp= ose:

 

The purpose of this policy is to:

 

  • Provide quality patient care and EMS servic= es to children with special health care needs.
  • Understand the need to communicate with the parents and caregivers regarding healthcare needs and devices that EMS may not have experience with.
  • Promote, request, and use the “Kidbase” form, which catalogs the he= alth care problems, needs, and issues of each child with a special healthca= re need.

 

Proc= edure:

 

1.   Caregivers who call 911 to re= port an emergency involving a child with special health care needs may report th= at the emergency involves a “Kidbase child” or may state that the situation involves a special needs child.

 

2.   Responding EMS personnel shou= ld ask the caregiver of a special needs child for a copy of the “Kidbase form”, which is the Nor= th Carolina terminology for the Emergency Information Form (EIF).

 

3.   EMS Personnel may choose to c= ontact the child’s primary care physician for assistance with specific condi= tions or devices or for advice regarding appropriate treatment and / or transportation of the child in the specific condition.

 

4.   Transportation of the child, = if necessary, will be made to the hospital appropriate for the specific condit= ion of the child.  In some cases t= his may involve bypassing the closest facility for a more distant yet more medically appropriate destination.