Pro Bono: Fatigue and Sleep Deprivation in EMS

Managing the risks & liability of sleep deprivation in EMS Fatigue brought on by sleep deprivation can lead to serious and even tragic mistakes for EMS practitioners. The U.S. Department of Transportation identifies fatigue as the number one safety problem in transportation operations, costing more than $12 billion a year. Sleepy drivers can be as dangerous as alcohol-impaired drivers, and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that in 2015, more than 72,000 police reported crashes involved drowsy drivers. These crashes led to 41,000 injuries and more than 800 deaths.1 P. Daniel Patterson, PhD, MPH, MS, NRP, has a well-researched article on page 27, which will be the seminal article on this subject into the future. Dan and his research team have developed practical solutions and strategies—including evidence-based guidelines for fatigue risk management—to help address this serious problem in EMS.2 A Major Risk EMS agencies are at great risk for liability if this problem isn't addressed effectively. Liability to the EMS agency for the mistakes of fatigued employees arises from the simple legal principle of respondeat superior: The employer is responsible for the actions of its agents, who are acting on the employer's behalf. Claims of negligence can be successfully brought against healthcare employers for mistakes made due to provider fatigue. This is especially the case if the employer knew or should have known of the risk that a fat...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Columns Administration and Leadership Source Type: news