Wash. Admin. Code § 246-976-010 - Definitions

Definitions in RCW 18.71.200, 18.71.205, 18.73.030, and 70.168.015 and the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Activation of the trauma system" means mobilizing resources to care for a trauma patient in accordance with regional patient care procedures.

(2) "Adolescence" means the period of physical and psychological development from the onset of puberty to maturity, approximately 12 to 18 years of age.

(3) "Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS)" means a training course established with national standards recognized by the department that includes the education and clinical interventions used to treat cardiac arrest and other acute cardiac related problems.

(4) "Advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT)" means a person who has been examined and certified by the secretary as an intermediate life support technician as defined in RCW 18.71.200 and 18.71.205.

(5) "Advanced first aid" means an advanced first-aid course prescribed by the American Red Cross or its equivalent.

(6) "Advanced life support (ALS)" means the level of care or service that involves invasive emergency medical procedures requiring the advanced medical treatment skills of a paramedic.

(7) "Agency response time" means the interval from dispatch to arrival on the scene.

(8) "Aid service" means an EMS agency licensed by the secretary to operate one or more aid vehicles, consistent with regional and state plans, and the department-approved license application. Aid services respond with aid equipment and certified emergency medical services providers to the scene of an emergency to provide initial care and treatment to ill or injured people.

(9) "Ambulance" or "aid service activation" means the dispatch or other initiation of a response by an ambulance or aid service to provide prehospital care or interfacility ambulance transport.

(10) "Ambulance service" means an EMS agency licensed by the secretary to operate one or more ground or air ambulances, consistent with regional and state plans, and the department-approved license application.

(11) "Approved" means approved by the department of health.

(12) "ATLS" means advanced trauma life support, a course developed by the American College of Surgeons.

(13) "Attending surgeon" means a physician who is board-certified or board-qualified in general surgery, and who has surgical privileges delineated by the facility's medical staff. The attending surgeon is responsible for care of the trauma patient, participates in all major therapeutic decisions, and is present during operative procedures.

(14) "Available" for designated trauma services described in WAC 246-976-485 through 246-976-890 means physically present in the facility and able to deliver care to the patient within the time specified. If no time is specified, the equipment or personnel must be available as reasonable and appropriate for the needs of the patient.

(15) "Basic life support (BLS)" means the level of care or service that involves basic emergency medical procedures requiring basic medical treatment skills as defined in chapter 18.73 RCW.

(16) "Board certified" or "board-certified" means that a physician has been certified by the appropriate specialty board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. For the purposes of this chapter, references to "board certified" include physicians who are board-qualified.

(17) "Board-qualified" means physicians who have graduated less than five years previously from a residency program accredited for the appropriate specialty by the accreditation council for graduate medical education.

(18) "BP" means blood pressure.

(19) "Certification" means the secretary recognizes that an individual has proof of meeting predetermined qualifications, and authorizes the individual to perform certain procedures.

(20) "Consumer" means an individual who is not associated with the EMS/TC system, either for pay or as a volunteer, except for service on the steering committee, or regional or local EMS/TC councils.

(21) "Continuing medical education method (CME method)" means a method of obtaining education required for the recertification of EMS providers. The CME method requires the successful completion of department-approved knowledge and practical skill certification examinations to recertify.

(22) "County operating procedures (COPs)" means department-approved written operational procedures adopted by the county MPD and the local EMS council. COPs provide county level guidance and operational direction which supports the delivery of patient care and coordination of patient transport and movement within the local emergency care system. COPs must be compatible with and work in coordination with state triage and destination procedures, regional patient care procedures, and patient care protocols.

(23) "CPR" means cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

(24) "Data user" means any individual who may access or possess data for any use, including quality improvement, administrative record keeping, research, surveillance, or evaluation.

(25) "Data use agreement" means a signed agreement with the department for transmitting, receiving, and using records containing individually identifiable or potentially identifiable health information. The agreement specifies, at a minimum what information will be exchanged, the conditions or restrictions under which the information will be used and protected, restrictions on redisclosure of data and restrictions on attempt to locate information associated with a specific individual.

(26) "Department" means the Washington state department of health.

(27) "Dispatch" means to identify and direct an emergency response unit to an incident location.

(28) "Diversion" means the EMS transport of a patient past the usual receiving facility to another facility due to temporary unavailability of care resources at the usual receiving facility.

(29) "E-code" means external cause code, an etiology included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

(30) "ED" means emergency department.

(31) "Electronic patient care report" means the record of patient care produced in an electronic data system.

(32) "EMS agency" means an EMS service such as an emergency services supervisory organization (ESSO), aid or ambulance service licensed or recognized by the secretary to provide prehospital care or interfacility transport.

(33) "Emergency medical procedures" means the skills that are performed within the scope of practice of EMS personnel certified by the secretary under chapters 18.71 and 18.73 RCW.

(34) "Emergency medical services and trauma care (EMS/TC) system" means an organized approach to providing personnel, facilities, and equipment for effective and coordinated medical treatment of patients with a medical emergency or injury requiring immediate medical or surgical intervention to prevent death or disability. The emergency medical services and trauma care system includes prevention activities, prehospital care, hospital care, and rehabilitation.

(35) "Emergency medical responder (EMR)" means a person who has been examined and certified by the secretary as a first responder to render prehospital EMS care as defined in RCW 18.73.081.

(36) "Emergency medical technician (EMT)" means a person who has been examined and certified by the secretary as an EMT to render prehospital EMS care as defined in RCW 18.73.081.

(37) "EMS" means emergency medical services.

(38) "EMS provider" means an individual certified by the secretary or the University of Washington School of Medicine under chapters 18.71 and 18.73 RCW to provide prehospital emergency response, patient care, and transport.

(39) "Emergency services supervisory organization (ESSO)" means an entity that is authorized by the secretary to use first responders to provide medical evaluation and initial treatment to sick or injured people, while in the course of duties with the organization for on-site medical care prior to any necessary activation of emergency medical services. ESSOs include law enforcement agencies, disaster management organizations, search and rescue operations, and diversion centers.

(40) "EMS/TC" means emergency medical services and trauma care.

(41) "Endorsement" means a higher form of recognition that requires successful completion of a department-approved MPD specialized training course. Endorsements are added to an EMS providers primary EMS certification.

(42) "General surgeon" means a licensed physician who has completed a residency program in surgery and who has surgical privileges delineated by the facility.

(43) "ICD" means the international classification of diseases, a coding system developed by the World Health Organization.

(44) "Initial recognition application procedure (IRAP)" means the application and procedure that a senior EMS instructor (SEI) candidate must complete and submit to the department to apply for initial recognition as an SEI.

(45) "Injury and violence prevention" means any combination of educational, legislative, enforcement, engineering and emergency response initiatives used to reduce the number and severity of injuries.

(46) "Interfacility transport" means medical transport of a patient between recognized medical treatment facilities requested by a licensed health care provider.

(47) "Intermediate life support (ILS)" means the level of care or service that may involve invasive emergency medical procedures requiring the medical treatment skills of an advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT).

(48) "Venous access" means a fluid or medication administered directly into the venous system.

(49) "Local council" means a local EMS/TC council authorized by RCW 70.168.120(1).

(50) "Medical control" means oral or written direction provided by the MPD or MPD physician delegate to EMS providers who provide medical care to patients of all age groups.

(51) "Medical control agreement" means a department-approved written agreement between two or more MPDs, that provides guidance regarding aspects of medical oversight to support continuity of patient care between counties. MPD agreements must be compatible and work in coordination with state triage and destination procedures, county operating procedures, patient care procedures, and patient care protocols.

(52) "Medical program director (MPD)" means a person who meets the requirements of chapters 18.71 and 18.73 RCW and is certified by the secretary as the county MPD. The MPD is responsible for both the supervision of training and medical control of EMS providers.

(53) "Medical program director delegate (MPD delegate)" means a physician appointed by the MPD and recognized and approved by the department. An MPD delegate may be:

(a) A prehospital training physician who supervises specified aspects of training EMS personnel; or

(b) A prehospital supervising physician who provides online medical control of EMS personnel.

(54) "Medical program director policy" means a department-approved written policy adopted by the county MPD that establishes expectations, procedures, and guidance related to the administrative activities of providing oversight to EMS providers and are within the roles and responsibilities of the MPD.

(55) "National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS)" means the national database used to store EMS data from the U.S. States and Territories and is a national standard for how prehospital and interfacility transport information is collected.

(56) "Ongoing training and evaluation program (OTEP)" means a continuous program of education for the recertification of EMS providers. An OTEP must be approved by the MPD and the department.

(57) "Pediatric advanced life support (PALS)" means a training course established with department recognized national standards for clinical interventions used to treat pediatric cardiac arrest and other acute cardiac related problems.

(58) "Paramedic" or "physician's trained emergency medical service paramedic" means a person who has been trained in an approved program to perform all phases of prehospital emergency medical care, including advanced life support, under written or oral authorization of an MPD or approved physician delegate, examined and certified by the secretary under chapter 18.71 RCW.

(59) "Pediatric education requirement (PER)" means the pediatric education and training standards required for certain specialty physicians and nurses who care for pediatric patients in designated trauma services as identified in WAC 246-976-886 and 246-976-887.

(60) "Pediatric education for prehospital providers (PEPP)" means a training course for EMS providers established with department recognized national standards for clinical interventions used to treat pediatric emergencies.

(61) "Physician" means an individual licensed under the provisions of chapters 18.71 or 18.57 RCW.

(62) "Physician with specific delineation of surgical privileges" means a physician with surgical privileges delineated for emergency/life-saving surgical intervention and stabilization of a trauma patient prior to transfer to a higher level of care. Surgery privileges are awarded by the facility's credentialing process.

(63) "Postgraduate year" means the classification system for residents who are undergoing postgraduate training. The number indicates the year the resident is in during the resident's postmedical school residency program.

(64) "Practical skills examination" means a test conducted in an initial course, or a test conducted during a recertification period, to determine competence in each of the practical skills or group of skills specified by the department.

(65) "Prehospital index (PHI)" means a scoring system used to trigger activation of a hospital trauma resuscitation team.

(66) "Prehospital patient care protocols" means the department-approved, written orders adopted by the MPD under RCW 18.73.030 (16) and 70.168.015(27) which direct the out-of-hospital care of patients. These protocols are related only to delivery and documentation of direct patient treatment. The protocols meet or exceed statewide minimum standards developed by the department in rule as authorized in chapter 70.168 RCW. Protocols must be compatible with and work in coordination with state triage and destination procedures, regional patient care procedures, and county operating procedures.

(67) "Prehospital provider" means EMS provider.

(68) "Prehospital trauma care service" means an EMS agency that is verified by the secretary to provide prehospital trauma care.

(69) "Prehospital trauma life support (PHTLS)" means a training course for EMS providers established with department recognized national standards for clinical interventions used to treat trauma patients.

(70) "Prehospital triage and destination procedure" means the statewide minimum standard and method used by prehospital providers to evaluate patients for time sensitive emergencies, identify the most appropriate destination, and alert the receiving facility of the patient's condition to help inform activation of the trauma, cardiac or stroke system of care from the field.

(71) "Public education" means education of the population at large, targeted groups, or individuals, in preventive measures and efforts to alter specific injury, trauma, and medical-related behaviors.

(72) "Quality improvement (QI)" or "quality assurance (QA)" means a process/program to monitor and evaluate care provided in the EMS/TC system.

(73) "Recertification" means the process of renewing a current EMS certification.

(74) "Recognition application procedure (RAP)" means the application and procedure that must be completed by a department recognized senior EMS instructor (SEI) to apply for renewal of an SEI recognition.

(75) "Regional council" means the regional EMS/TC council established by RCW 70.168.100.

(76) "Regional patient care procedure (PCP)" means department-approved written operating guidelines adopted by the regional emergency medical services and trauma care council, in consultation with the local emergency medical services and trauma care councils, emergency communication centers, and the emergency medical services county medical program directors. PCPs provide an operational framework and broad overarching guidance for the coordination of patient transport and movement within the regional emergency care system. PCPs identify the level of medical care personnel to be dispatched to an emergency scene, procedures for triage of patients, the level of trauma care facility, mental health facility, or chemical dependency program to first receive the patient, and the name and location of other trauma care facilities, mental health facilities, or chemical dependency programs to receive the patient should an interfacility transfer be necessary. Procedures on interfacility transfer of patients are consistent with the transfer procedures in chapter 70.170 RCW. Patient care procedures do not relate to direct patient care and must be compatible with and work in coordination with state triage and destination procedures.

(77) "Regional plan" means the plan defined in WAC 246-976-960 (1)(b) that has been approved by the department.

(78) "Registered nurse" means an individual licensed under the provisions of chapter 18.79 RCW.

(79) "Reinstatement" means the process of reissuing an EMS certification that is revoked or suspended by the department.

(80) "Reissuance" means the process of reissuing a certification that is expired.

(81) "Reversion" means the process of reverting a current EMS certification to a lower level of EMS certification.

(82) "Rural" means an unincorporated or incorporated area with a total population of less than 10,000 people, or with a population density of less than 1,000 people per square mile.

(83) "Secretary" means the secretary of the department of health.

(84) "Senior EMS instructor (SEI)" means an individual approved and recognized by the department to conduct initial emergency medical responder (EMR) or emergency medical technician (EMT) training courses.

(85) "Special competence" means that an individual has been deemed competent and committed to a medical specialty area with documented training, board certification and experience, which has been reviewed and accepted as evidence of a practitioner's expertise:

(a) For physicians, by the facility's medical staff;

(b) For registered nurses, by the facility's department of nursing;

(c) For physician assistants and advanced registered nurse practitioners, as defined in the facility's bylaws.

(86) "Specialty care transport (SCT)" means the level of care or service needed during an interfacility transport for a patient who is critically injured or ill and whose condition requires care by a physician, registered nurse, or a paramedic who has received special training and approval of the MPD.

(87) "State plan" means the emergency medical services and trauma care system plan described in RCW 70.168.015(7), adopted by the department under RCW 70.168.060(10).

(88) "Steering committee" means the EMS/TC steering committee created by RCW 70.168.020.

(89) "Substance use disorder professional (SUDP)" means an individual certified in substance use disorder counseling under chapters 18.205 RCW and 246-811 WAC.

(90) "Suburban" means an incorporated or unincorporated area with a population of 10,000 to 29,999 or any area with a population density of between 1,000 and 2,000 people per square mile.

(91) "System response time" for trauma means the interval from discovery of an injury until the patient arrives at a designated trauma facility.

(92) "Training program" means an organization that is approved by the department to conduct initial and ongoing EMS training as identified in the approved training program application on file with the department.

(93) "Training program director" means the individual responsible for oversight of a department-approved EMS training program.

(94) "Trauma registry" means the statewide data registry to collect data on incidence, severity, and causes of trauma described in RCW 70.168.090(1).

(95) "Trauma rehabilitation coordinator" means a person designated to facilitate early rehabilitation interventions and the trauma patient's access to a designated rehabilitation center.

(96) "Trauma response area" means a service coverage zone identified in an approved regional plan.

(97) "Trauma service" means the clinical service within a hospital or clinic that is designated by the department to provide care to trauma patients.

(98) "Urban" means:

(a) An incorporated area over 30,000; or

(b) An incorporated or unincorporated area of at least 10,000 people and a population density over 2,000 people per square mile.

(99) "Verification" means an EMS agency is capable of providing verified trauma care services and is credentialed under chapters 18.73 and 70.168 RCW.

(100) "Washington EMS information system (WEMSIS)" means the statewide electronic EMS data system responsible for collecting EMS data described in RCW 70.168.090(2).

(101) "WEMSIS data administrator" means an EMS agency representative who is assigned by their agency as the primary contact for WEMSIS data submission management as indicated in the department-approved EMS agency licensing application.

(102) "Wilderness" means any rural area not readily accessible by public or private maintained road.

Notes

Wash. Admin. Code § 246-976-010

Amended by WSR 24-15-104, Filed 7/22/2024, effective 9/30/2024

Statutory Authority: Chapters 18.71, 18.73, and 70.168 RCW. 11-07-078, § 246-976-010, filed 3/22/11, effective 5/15/11; 05-01-221, § 246-976-010, filed 12/22/04, effective 1/22/05; 00-08-102, § 246-976-010, filed 4/5/00, effective 5/6/00. Statutory Authority: Chapter 18.71 RCW. 96-03-052, § 246-976-010, filed 1/12/96, effective 2/12/96. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.70.040 and chapters 18.71, 18.73 and 70.168 RCW. 93-01-148 (Order 323), § 246-976-010, filed 12/23/92, effective 1/23/93.