What is the definition of a patient?

• A. A person who meets at least one of these criteria: a complaint or mechanism suggestive of potential illness or injury; obvious evidence of illness or injury; or identified by an informed 2nd or 3rd party caller as requiring evaluation
• B. A person with a confirmed diagnosis
• C. A person who is unconscious
• D. A person who is transported to hospital

Answer: (A)

In EMS, a patient is someone who may need medical assessment or care because of symptoms, a mechanism of injury, or obvious signs of illness or injury. The statement used here captures that broad, practical definition: a person who meets criteria such as a complaint or mechanism suggestive of potential illness or injury, obvious evidence of illness or injury, or identified by an informed caller as requiring evaluation. This reflects why EMS acts on people who may need help even before a diagnosis is made—care starts when there is potential need, not solely after confirmation. The other ideas are narrower: a confirmed diagnosis describes someone after evaluation, unconsciousness is not the defining criterion though such a person is indeed a patient, and being transported to the hospital is a downstream action, not what defines a patient.