Publications by authors named "Madeline Winn"
Objectives: Emergency medicine providers may interface with law enforcement personnel (LEP) on behalf of their pediatric patients for a variety of reasons, from reporting child abuse to caring for children who are in police custody. Given the unique nature of caring for minors who may not have legal or medical autonomy, interactions with LEP can raise ethical concerns for emergency providers, specifically with regard to legal representation, developmental immaturity, and the civil rights of children and their parents/guardians.
Methods: We review 4 patient scenarios, based on real cases experienced by the authors, to demonstrate the legal and ethical issues that may arise when LEP are involved in the emergency care of a child.