§321-23.6  Rapid identification documents. (a)  The department shall adopt rules for emergency medical services that shallinclude:

(1)  Uniform methods of rapidly identifying an adultperson who has certified, or for whom has been certified, in a written"comfort care only" document that the person or, consistent withchapter 327E, the person's guardian, agent, or surrogate directs emergencymedical services personnel, first responder personnel, and health careproviders not to administer chest compressions, rescue breathing, electricshocks, or medication, or all of these, given to restart the heart if theperson's breathing or heart stops, and directs that the person is to receivecare for comfort only, including oxygen, airway suctioning, splinting of fractures,pain medicine, and other measures required for comfort;

(2)  The written document containing the certificationshall be signed by the patient or, consistent with chapter 327E, the person'sguardian, agent, or surrogate and by any two other adult persons who personallyknow the patient; and

(3)  The original document containing thecertification and all three signatures shall be maintained by the patient, thepatient's:

(A)  Physician;

(B)  Attorney;

(C)  Guardian;

(D)  Surrogate; or

(E)  Any other person who may lawfully act onthe patient's behalf.

Two copies of the document shall be given to thepatient, or the patient's guardian, agent, or surrogate.

(b)  The rules shall provide for the following:

(1)  The patient, or the patient's guardian, agent, orsurrogate, may verbally revoke the "comfort care only" document atany time, including during the emergency situation;

(2)  An anonymous tracking system shall be developedto assess the success or failure of the procedures and to ensure that abuse isnot occurring; and

(3)  If an emergency medical services person, firstresponder, or any other health care provider believes in good faith that theprovider's safety, the safety of the family or immediate bystanders, or theprovider's own conscience requires the patient be resuscitated despite thepresence of a "comfort care only" document, then that provider mayattempt to resuscitate that patient, and neither the provider, the ambulanceservice, nor any other person or entity shall be liable for attempting toresuscitate the patient against the patient's will. [L 1994, c 173, §1; am L2006, c 46, §1]

 

Revision Note

 

  This section was renumbered from §321-229.5.