title: Ethical considerations in embedding a surgeon in a military or civilian tactical team.
abstract: Tactical emergency medical services (TEMS) bring immediate medical support to the inner perimeter of special weapons and tactics team activations. While initially envisioned as a role for an individual dually trained as a police officer and paramedic, TEMS is increasingly undertaken by physicians and paramedics who are not police officers. This report explores the ethical underpinnings of embedding a surgeon within a military or civilian tactical team with regard to identity, ethically acceptable actions, triage, responsibility set, training, certification, and potential future refinements of the role of the tactical police surgeon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. Lewis.Kaplan@yale.edu
authors.forename: Lewis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Alexander L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Eastman
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.forename: Stanley H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Rosenbaum
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Cone
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mulhern
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000941:ethics; D013502:General Surgery / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000941:ethics*; D008889:Military Personnel; D010819:Physician's Role; D016495:Police / Q000941:ethics*; D014218:Triage