Final answer:
An EMT providing substandard care could be charged with negligence, which requires establishing a duty, a breach of that duty, causation, and damages. Libel and breach of duty to act are different concepts and are not specifically related to negligence.
Step-by-step explanation:
An EMT who provides care which falls below the standard of care is at risk of being charged with negligence. This is because negligence is defined as failure to behave with the level of care that someone of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances. It involves actions or a failure to act that breaches legal duty to a patient.
In the healthcare field, for an act to be considered negligent, four elements must be established: duty, breach of that duty, causation, and damages. When an EMT does not meet the established standard of care, resulting in harm to a patient, this is a breach of their duty. However, to constitute negligence, it must be proven that this breach of duty was the proximate cause of the injury or damage to the patient.
While terms like libel refer to a false and unprivileged publication by writing, printing, or otherwise that exposes any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule, this is unrelated to the medical standard of care. Similarly, a breach of duty to act may relate to the EMT's obligations but does not alone determine negligence without the other elements being present.