Bariatric Procedures - Develop Written Protocols

Several areas that occasionally are not included in written protocols can serve to increase the legal liability for an EMS service if they are not properly addressed. To insure that special situations are addressed in a professional and consistent manner, it is recommended written protocols be developed for these situations. One of these areas is how to handle the hazards presented by bariatric transfers. These protocols should at minimum cover the following areas:

• You should have procedures in place for limiting the amount of weight that can be lifted or maneuvered by an individual crew.
• Specific procedures should be in place and resources available to request additional assistance.
• If you do not have patient handling equipment rated for Bariatric patients, then there should be a specific resource listed that does and how to contact them.
• A copy of a sample Bariatric Transfer guideline has been provided to you and can serve as a template for the development of this guideline.

All new protocols should be reviewed and approved by the medical director or appropriate medical command authority to be certain that all appropriate areas are covered and no legal responsibilities are inadvertently omitted.