Final answer:
In EMS, mental status refers to the patient's level of awareness of his surroundings and can be assessed through the mental status exam.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term 'mental status' in EMS refers to the patient's level of awareness of his surroundings. It is a measure of the patient's cognitive abilities and can be assessed through a series of subtests known as the mental status exam. These subtests address orientation and memory, language and speech, sensorium, and judgment and abstract reasoning.