Reducing 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Service Calls By Implementing A Community Paramedicine Program For Vulnerable Older Adults In Public Housing In Canada: A Multi-Site Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

MACCABI-RED, community emergency care at the press of a button: a descriptive study

BACKGROUND

Maccabi-RED is a new service developed in Israel that allows primary care staff to direct urgent cases to specialists in the community for evaluation in their local clinics on the same day as an alternative to an emergency department (ED) visit. A primary care physician or a nurse can activate the service, and all nearby specialists receive "a call" and can decide if they are willing to accept it, thus allowing the patient to avoid an unnecessary visit to the ED.

AIM

To quantify and characterize the medical care provided by this service in a large national healthcare system.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Multicenter, community-based, retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

All Maccabi-RED visits recorded between September 2021 and August 2022 were included. Patient characteristics were compared to national demographics. Descriptive statistics were used to present data regarding recorded diagnoses, treating physicians, treatments or referrals provided, and subsequent emergency department admissions or hospitalizations.

RESULTS

31831 visits were recorded. Most frequent diagnoses were musculoskeletal pain (12.1%), otitis or otalgia (7.8%), contusions (7.6%), fractures (7.1%), foreign body (6.7%), pregnancy-related symptoms (6.3%), and upper-respiratory or unspecified viral infection (6.3%). The most common treatments reported were foreign body removal (5%) and cast application (3.5%). Only 7.8% of visits resulted in emergency department admission within seven days (any cause). The average time from patient request to physician treatment was 91 min.

CONCLUSIONS

Maccabi-RED is being widely used by patients nationwide. Additional studies are needed to investigate whether Maccabi-RED reduces emergency department visits and costs.

Ambulance service recognition of health inequalities and activities for reduction: An evidence and gap map of the published literature

Background

Emergency medical services (EMS) are often patients' first point of contact for urgent and emergency care needs. Patients are triaged over the phone and may receive an ambulance response, with potential conveyance to the hospital. A recent scoping review suggested disparities in EMS patient care in the United States. However, it is unknown how health inequalities impact EMS care in other developed countries and how inequalities are being addressed.

Objectives

This rapid evidence map of published literature aims to map known health inequalities in EMS patients and describe interventions reducing health inequalities in EMS patient care.

Methods

The search strategy consisted of EMS synonyms and health inequality synonyms. The MEDLINE/PubMed database was searched from 1 January 2010 to 26 July 2022. Studies were included if they described empirical research exploring health inequalities within ambulance service patient care. Studies were mapped on to the EMS care interventions framework and Core20PLUS5 framework. Studies evaluating interventions were synthesised using the United Kingdom Allied Health Professions Public Health Strategic Framework.

Results

The search strategy yielded 771 articles, excluding duplicates, with two more studies added from hand searches. One hundred studies met the inclusion criteria after full-text review. Inequalities in EMS patient care were predominantly situated in assessment, treatment and conveyance, although triage and response performance were also represented. Studies mostly explored EMS health inequalities within ethnic minority populations, populations with protected characteristics and the core issue of social deprivation. Studies evaluating interventions reducing health inequalities (n = 5) were from outside the United Kingdom and focused on older patients, ethnic minorities and those with limited English proficiency. Interventions included community paramedics, awareness campaigns, dedicated language lines and changes to EMS protocols.

Conclusions

Further UK-based research exploring health inequalities of EMS patients would support ambulance service policy and intervention development to reduce health inequality in urgent and emergency care delivery.

Timing of emergency medical services activations for falls

Objective

Falls are a major challenge to public health, particularly among older adults. Understanding factors that influence fall risk is pivotal in the prevention of falls and fall-related injuries. This study evaluated the timing of emergency medical service (EMS) activations for falls and transport patterns for adults age ≥65.

Methods

A patient care report system at a single fire-based emergency medical service agency in a suburban, Midwest city was retrospectively reviewed. Type of call (lift assist/fall), time of injury (time, day, and month), and demographics (sex, age) were collected for residents age ≥65 who activated 9-1-1 for a lift assist or fall.

Results

1169 calls met inclusion criteria. Mornings and afternoons were the time of day associated with falls (33 % and 36 % of EMS activations, respectively, vs. 21 % and 10 % for evenings and nights, respectively; p = 0.002) while day of the week and month were not associated with falls or lift assists. More males requested lift assists than females (256 vs. 238) and more females called for falls than males (408 vs. 267; p < 0.001). Falls were more likely to be associated with transport to the hospital than lift assists (78% vs. 7 %). Female sex was associated with increased risk for transport to the hospital (60 % of females vs. 40 % of males; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Mornings and afternoons were associated with increased risk for falls and sex (female) with increased risk for transport to the hospital.

Physician perspectives of the community paramedicine at clinic (CP@clinic) and my care plan app (myCP app) for older adults

BACKGROUND

Community Paramedicine (CP) is an emerging model of care addressing health problems through non-emergency services. Little evidence exists examining the integration of an app for improved patient, CP, and family physician (FP) communication. This study investigated FP perspectives on the impact of the Community Paramedicine at Clinic (CP@clinic) program on providing patient care and the feasibility and value of a novel "My Care Plan App" (myCP app).

METHODS

This retrospective mixed-methods study included an online survey and phone interviews to elucidate FPs ' perspectives on the CP@clinic program and the myCP app, respectively, between January 2021 and May 2021. FPs with patients in the CP@clinic program were recruited to participate. Survey responses were summarized using descriptive statistics, and audio recordings from the interviews thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight FPs completed the survey and 10 FPs completed the phone interviews. 60.5% and 52.6% of FPs reported that the CP@clinic program improved their ability to further screen and diagnose patients for hypertension, respectively (in addition to their regular screening practices). The themes that emerged in the phone interviews were grouped into three topics: app benefits, drawbacks, and integration within practice. Overall, FPs described the myCP app as user-friendly and useful to improve interprofessional communication with CPs.

CONCLUSIONS

CP@clinic helped family physicians to screen and monitor chronic disease. The myCP app can impact health service delivery by closing the gap between primary, community, and emergency care through an eHealth information-sharing platform.

Optimizing Older Adult Mental Health in Support of Healthy Ageing: A Pluralistic Framework to Inform Transformative Change across Community and Healthcare Domains

This paper describes a pluralistic framework to inform transformative change across community and healthcare domains to optimize the mental health of older adults in support of healthy ageing. An extensive review and analysis of the literature informed the creation of a framework that contextualizes the priority areas of the WHO Decade of Health Ageing (ageism, age-friendly environments, long-term care, and integrated care) with respect to older adult mental health. The framework additionally identifies barriers, facilitators, and strategies for action at macro (social/system), meso (services/supports), and micro (older adults) levels of influence. This conceptual (analytical) framework is intended as a tool to inform planning and decision-making across policy, practice, education and training, research, and knowledge mobilization arenas. The framework described in this paper can be used by countries around the globe to build evidence, set priorities, and scale up promising practices (both nationally and sub-nationally) to optimize the mental health and healthy ageing trajectories of older adults as a population.

Cardiometabolic risk factors in social housing residents: A multi-site cross-sectional survey in older adults from Ontario, Canada

OBJECTIVE

This study describes cardiometabolic diseases and related risk factors in vulnerable older adults residing in social housing, aiming to inform primary care initiatives to reduce health inequities. Associations between sociodemographic variables, modifiable risk factors (clinical and behavioural), health-related quality of life and self-reported cardiometabolic diseases were investigated.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This was a cross-sectional study with an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data was collected from residents aged 55 years and older residing in 30 social housing apartment buildings in five regions in Ontario, Canada.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The proportion of cardiometabolic diseases and modifiable risk factors (e.g., clinical, behavioural, health status) in this population was calculated.

RESULTS

Questionnaires were completed with 1065 residents: mean age 72.4 years (SD = 8.87), 77.3% were female, 87.2% were white; 48.2% had less than high school education; 22.70% self-reported cardiovascular disease (CVD), 10.54% diabetes, 59.12% hypertension, 43.59% high cholesterol. These proportions were higher than the general population. Greater age was associated with overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and CVD. Poor health-related quality of life was associated with self-reported CVD and diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Older adults residing in social housing in Ontario have higher proportion of cardiovascular disease and modifiable risk factors compared to the general population. This vulnerable population should be considered at high risk of cardiometabolic disease. Primary care interventions appropriate for this population should be implemented to reduce individual and societal burdens of cardiometabolic disease.

Adapting the Community Paramedicine at Clinic (CP@clinic) program to a remote northern first nation community: a qualitative study of community members' and local health care providers' views

The views of community Elders and health care providers in a rural remote First Nation community in Ontario, Canada on their health care landscape and adapting the Community Paramedicine at Clinic (CP@clinic) Program to their community are presented. Key informant interviews took place between September 2020 and March 2021, and were thematically analysed using the Framework Hierarchical Analysis. There were seven themes that emerged with many subthemes: available services in the community, health care access, health challenges in community, causes of frailty, health care and community appreciations, community-specific benefits of CP@clinic, and CP@clinic program considerations for adaptation. CP@clinic program considerations for adaptation included defining the role of CP, refining referral processes to capture the target population, advertising and promoting, ensuring community awareness, determining clinic setting and composition, focusing on advocacy and timely continuity, adding to the program through time, managing resistance, engaging community and partners, deploying cultural training and language accommodations, leveraging community assets, and ensuring sustainability. Focusing on continuity, engagement, and leveraging available resources may support the success of the CP@clinic program implementation. Findings from this study may be useful to other underserved communities in Canada seeking health programming.

Perceived value and benefits of the Community Paramedicine at Clinic (CP@clinic) programme: a descriptive qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

Community Paramedicine (CP) is increasingly being used to provide chronic disease management for vulnerable populations in the community. CP@clinic took place in social housing buildings to support cardiovascular health and diabetes management for older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine participant perceptions of their experience with CP@clinic as well as potential ongoing programme benefits.

DESIGN

This descriptive qualitative study used focus groups to understand resident experiences of the CP@clinic programme. Groups were facilitated by experienced moderators using a semistructured guide. An inductive coding approach was used with at least two researchers taking part in each step of the analysis process.

SETTING

Community-based social housing buildings in Ontario, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

Forty-one participants from four CP@clinic sites took part in a focus group. Convenience sampling was used with anyone having taken part in a CP@clinic session being eligible to attend the focus group.

RESULTS

Analysis yielded six themes across two broad areas: timely access to health information and services, support to achieve personal health goals, better understanding of healthcare system (Personal Benefits); and sense of community, comfortable and familiar place to talk about health, facilitated communication between healthcare professionals (Programme Structure). Participants experienced discernible health changes that motivated their participation. CP@clinic was viewed as a programme that created connections within the building and outside of it. Participants were enthusiastic for the continuation of the programme and appreciated the consistent support to meet their health goals.

CONCLUSIONS

CP@clinic was successful in creating a supportive and friendly environment to facilitate health behavioural changes. Ongoing implementation of CP@clinic would allow residents to continue to build their chronic disease management knowledge and skills.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Trial registration number: NCT02152891, Clinicaltrials.gov.

A mobile integrated health program for the management of undifferentiated acute complaints in older adults is safe and feasible

BACKGROUND

Poor care access and lack of proper triage of medical complaints leads to inappropriate use of acute care resources. Mobile integrated health (MIH) programs may offer a solution by providing adaptable on-demand care. There is little information describing programs that manage undifferentiated complaints in the community. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and feasibility of an MIH program that responds to the community to manage medical complaints in older adults.

METHODS

This was a prospective observational study examining a pilot MIH program. Seven ambulatory clinics and their affiliated patients aged 65 and older were oriented to the program and invited to use its services. Visit and follow-up data for all patients who underwent an MIH visit were abstracted, along with 30-day follow-up information. All demographic data and outcomes were reported descriptively.

RESULTS

In 21 months, 153 MIH visits were completed, involving 91 patients (mean age 81 years, 60.4% female). The most common chief complaints were generalized weakness (28.8%) and shortness of breath (18.9%). Electrocardiogram (57.5%) and point-of-care bloodwork (34.6%) were the most common diagnostic tests performed. Sixteen visits (10.4%) were followed by an emergency department (ED) visit within 72 h. In 11 encounters, the patient was referred to the ED; in five cases, the ED visit was unforeseen. Fifteen patients (9.8%) were admitted to the hospital after an MIH visit. There were two deaths within 30 days following an index visit.

CONCLUSIONS

An MIH program designed to address the acute complaints of community-dwelling older adults was feasible and safe, with low rates of unforeseen emergency services utilizations. MIH programs have valuable diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities and may serve to help triage the acute medical needs of patients. Further study is required to validate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of MIH programs.

Delivery of public health interventions by the ambulance sector: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

With millions of unscheduled patient contacts every year and increasing call outs clustered around the most deprived communities, it is clear the ambulance sector could have a role to play in improving population health. However, the application and value of a public health approach within the ambulance sector has not been comprehensively explored. A scoping review was undertaken to explore the role of the ambulance sector in the delivery of public health interventions and what impact this has on population health and ambulance sector outcomes.

METHODS

A search strategy was developed on MEDLINE and translated to other major medical and health related bibliographic databases (Embase; CINAHL; HMIC; Science and Social Sciences Citation Index; Cochrane Library) to identify literature published since 2000 in OECD countries. Targeted grey literature, reference list, and citation searching was also carried out. Search results were downloaded to Microsoft Excel and screened by three reviewers according to pre-determined inclusion / exclusion criteria. Data from included studies, such as the type of activity noted within the paper, the population involved and the public health approach that was utilised, was extracted from within the paper using a data extraction form and narratively synthesised.

RESULTS

Fifty-two references were included in the final review (37 database searching; 9 reference list searching; 6 grey literature). Included articles were categorised according to the relevant public health domains and subdomains as articulated by the UK Faculty of Public Health: 1. Health improvement domain: Public health education and advice (Health promotion sub-domain) (n=13) Emergency Services personnel providing vaccines (Disease prevention sub-domain) (n=1) 2. Health care public health domain Paramedicine (Service delivery sub-domain) (n=30) Screening tools and referral pathways used by the ambulance sector (Service delivery sub-domain) (n=28) Health intelligence using ambulance sector data (population health management sub-domain) (n=26) Of note, some domains (e.g. health protection) returned nil results.

DISCUSSION

The scoping review demonstrates the breadth of public health related activities in which the ambulance sector is involved. However, an overemphasis on demand management outcomes precludes definitive conclusions on the impact of ambulance sector-led public health initiatives on public health outcomes. Future evaluations of public health initiatives should incorporate wider health system perspectives beyond the immediately apparent remit of the ambulance sector.

Challenges in recruiting frequent users of ambulance services for a community paramedic home visit program

BACKGROUND

The Community Paramedicine at Home (CP@home) program is a health promotion program where community paramedics conduct risk assessments with frequent 9-1-1 callers in their homes, with a goal of reducing the frequency of 9-1-1 calls in this vulnerable population. The effectiveness of the CP@home program was investigated through a community-based RCT conducted in four regions in Ontario, Canada. The purpose of this current recruitment study is to examine the challenges met when recruiting for a community randomized control trial on high frequency 9-1-1 callers.

METHODS

Eligible participants were recruited from one of four regions participating in the CP@home program and were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 1142) or control group (n = 1142). Data were collected during the recruitment process from the administrative database of the four paramedic services. Whether they live alone, their parental ethnicity, age, reason for calling 9-1-1, reason for not participating, contact method, and whether they were successfully contacted were recorded. Statistical significance was calculated using the Chi-Squared Test and Fisher's Exact Test to evaluate the effectiveness of the recruitment methods used to enroll eligible participants in the CP@home Program.

RESULTS

Of the people who were contacted, 48.0% answered their phone when called and 53.9% answered their door when a home visit was attempted. In Total, 110 (33.1%) of people where a contact attempt was successful participated in the CP@home program. Most participants were over the age of 65, even though people as young as 18 were contacted. Older adults who called 9-1-1 for a lift assist were more likely to participate, compared to any other individual reason recorded, and were most often recruited through a home visit.

CONCLUSIONS

This recruitment analysis successfully describes the challenges experienced by researchers when recruiting frequent 9-1-1 callers, which are considered a hard-to-reach population. The differences in age, contact method, and reason for calling 9-1-1 amongst people contacted and participants should be considered when recruiting this population for future research.

Mobile Integrated Health Care Roles of US EMS Clinicians: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

Mobile integrated health care (MIH) leverages emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians to perform local health care functions. Little is known about the individual EMS clinicians working in this role. We sought to describe the prevalence, demographics, and training of EMS clinicians providing MIH in the United States (US).

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study of US-based, nationally certified civilian EMS clinicians who completed the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) recertification application during the 2021-2022 cycle and completed the voluntary workforce survey. Workforce survey respondents self-identified their job roles within EMS, including MIH. If an MIH role was selected, additional questions clarified the primary role in EMS, type of MIH provided, and hours of MIH training received. We merged the workforce survey responses with the individual's NREMT recertification demographic profile. The prevalence of EMS clinicians with MIH roles and data on demographics, clinical care provided, and MIH training were calculated using descriptive statistics, including proportions with associated binomial 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

Of 38,960 survey responses, 33,335 met inclusion criteria and 490 (1.5%; 95%CI 1.3-1.6%) EMS clinicians indicated MIH roles. Of these, 62.0% (95%CI 57.7-66.3%) provided MIH as their primary EMS role. EMS clinicians with MIH roles were present in all 50 states and certification levels included emergency medical technician (EMT) (42.8%; 95%CI 38.5-47.2%), advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT) (3.5%; 95%CI 1.9-5.1%), and paramedic (53.7%; 95%CI 49.3-58.1%). Over one-third (38.6%; 95%CI 34.3-42.9%) of EMS clinicians with MIH roles received bachelor's degrees or above, and 48.4% (95%CI 43.9%-52.8%) had been in their MIH roles for less than 3 years. Nearly half (45.6%; 95%CI 39.8-51.6%) of all EMS clinicians with primary MIH roles received less than 50 hours (h) of MIH training; only one-third (30.0%; 95%CI 24.7-35.6%) received more than 100 h of training.

CONCLUSION

Few nationally certified US EMS clinicians perform MIH roles. Only half of MIH roles were performed by paramedics; EMT and AEMT clinicians performed a substantial proportion of MIH roles. The observed variability in certification and training suggest heterogeneity in preparation and performance of MIH roles among US EMS clinicians.

Mobile Integrated Health Interventions for Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Background and Objectives

Mobile integrated health (MIH) interventions have not been well described in older adult populations. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the characteristics and effectiveness of MIH programs on health-related outcomes among older adults.

Research Design and Methods

We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, CINAHL, AgeLine, Social Work Abstracts, and The Cochrane Library through June 2021 for randomized controlled trials or cohort studies evaluating MIH among adults aged 65 and older in the general community. Studies were screened for eligibility against predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Using at least 2 independent reviewers, quality was appraised using the Downs and Black checklist and study characteristics and findings were synthesized and evaluated for potential bias.

Results

Screening of 2,160 records identified 15 studies. The mean age of participants was 67 years. The MIH interventions varied in their focus, community paramedic training, types of assessments and interventions delivered, physician oversight, use of telemedicine, and post-visit follow-up. Studies reported significant reductions in emergency call volume (5 studies) and immediate emergency department (ED) transports (3 studies). The 3 studies examining subsequent ED visits and 4 studies examining readmission rates reported mixed results. Studies reported low adverse event rates (5 studies), high patient and provider satisfaction (5 studies), and costs equivalent to or less than usual paramedic care (3 studies).

Discussion and Implications

There is wide variability in MIH provider training, program coordination, and quality-based metrics, creating heterogeneity that make definitive conclusions challenging. Nonetheless, studies suggest MIH reduces emergency call volume and ED transport rates while improving patient experience and reducing overall health care costs.

Aging in Place in Social Housing: A Scoping Review of Social Housing for Older Adults

Access to affordable housing is a rising concern, and social housing is one approach to support low-income, older renters. A scoping review was undertaken to understand the characteristics of older tenants and social housing services to identify strategies to promote aging in place. Seven peer review databases were searched to identify relevant articles. A total of 146 articles were included. Almost all examined socio-demographic and health characteristics of older tenants, while 72 per cent examined social housing services, including eligibility policies, staffing, and access to on-site services. This review points to a high vulnerability among older tenants and highlights the importance of co-locating services on-site with a tenant-facing support staff to identify vulnerable tenants and link them to services. More research on tenancy issues (e.g., unit condition, rental management) is needed to identify new opportunities for social housing landlords to help older tenants age in place.

Factors Associated With Successful Enrollment in a Community Paramedicine Program for Heart Failure

Introduction Participation in community paramedicine (CP) programs, sometimes referred to as Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH), may improve patient-centered outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions. The objective of this study was to correlate patient and system-specific factors with successful enrollment in a CP program for heart failure.  Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients enrolled in a CP program after hospitalization for a heart failure-related diagnosis. All patients greater than 18 years of age referred to the CP program with a heart-failure-related diagnosis were included. Factors including age, sex, hospital length of stay, enrollment method, concurrent use of transitional care services, care team, and service line referral were collected. The primary outcome was successful enrollment which led to an initial home visit. Chi-square and t-tests were performed to determine if the outcome differed between cohorts.  Results A total of 908 patients met the inclusion criteria, and 677 (74.7%) received home visits. Increased participation was noted in patients enrolled in person (81.1% vs. 66%, p<0.01) and those also receiving transitional care services (78.9% vs. 62.5%, p<0.01).  Conclusion We conclude that efforts should be made to contact patients in person, prior to hospital discharge, who are eligible for CP services.

A Systematic Review of Methodologies and Outcome Measures of Mobile Integrated Health-Community Paramedicine Programs

INTRODUCTION

Mobile integrated health-community paramedicine (MIH-CP) uses patient-centered, mobile resources in the out-of-hospital environment to increase access to care and reduce unnecessary emergency department (ED) usage. The objective of this systematic review is to characterize the outcomes and methodologies used by MIH-CP programs around the world and assess the validity of the ways programs evaluate their effectiveness.

METHODS

The PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus databases were searched for peer-reviewed literature related to MIH-CP programs. We included all full-length studies whose programs met the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians definition, had MIH-CP-related interventions, and measured outcomes. We excluded all non-English papers, abstract-only, and incomplete studies.

RESULTS

Our initial literature review identified 6434 titles. We screened 178 full-text studies to assess for eligibility and identified 33 studies to include in this review. These 33 include four randomized controlled trials, 17 cohort studies, eight 8 case series, and four 4 cross-sectional studies. Of the 29 non-randomized trials, five used matched controls, 13 used pre-post, and 11 used no controls. Outcomes measured were hospital usage (24 studies), ED visits (15), EMS usage (23), patient satisfaction (8), health-related outcomes (8), and cost (9). Studies that evaluated hospital usage reported one of several outcome measures: hospital admissions (11), ED length of stay (3), and hospital readmission rate (2). EMS usage was measured by ambulance transports (12) and EMS calls (10). Cost outcomes observed were ambulance transport savings (7), ED visit savings (4), hospital admission savings (3), and cost per quality-adjusted life year (2).

CONCLUSION

Most studies assessing MIH-CP programs reported success of their interventions. However, significant heterogeneity of outcome measures and varying quality of study methodologies exist among studies. Future studies designed with adequately matched controls and applying uniform core metrics for cost savings and health care usage are needed to better evaluate the effectiveness of MIH-CP programs.

Automated referral to community paramedicine during 9-1-1 fall calls for resource activation

BACKGROUND

We sought to improve the referral process to a community paramedicine (CP) program following a 9-1-1 encounter.

METHODS

An electronic health record (EHR) for CP records with the ability to link to emergency EHR was identified and implemented with a single-click referral to the CP program. Referrals were tracked for 15 months before and after implementation.

RESULTS

Referral capacity increased from an average of 14.2 referrals per month to 44.9 referrals per month.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest an EHR is a useful investment for CP programs and may be integral to efficient program operations.

Injury-Related Emergency Medical Service Calls, Traffic Accidents, and Crime in Mexico City Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

INTRODUCTION

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had detrimental impacts across multiple sectors of the Mexican health care system. The prehospital care system, however, remains largely under-studied. The first objective of this study was to calculate the monthly per capita rates of injury-related 9-1-1 calls, traffic accidents, and crime at the state-level (Mexico City) during the early pandemic period (January 1 through June 30, 2020), while the second objective was to conduct these calculations at the borough-level for the same outcomes and time period. The third objective was to compare monthly per capita rates of injury-related 9-1-1 calls, traffic accidents, and crime at the state-level (Mexico City) during the pre-pandemic (January 1 through June 30, 2019), early pandemic (January 1 through June 30, 2020), and later pandemic periods (January 1 through June 30, 2021).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted to examine injury-related 9-1-1 calls, traffic accidents, and crime at the state-level (Mexico City) and borough-levels. Monthly per capita rates were calculated using four datasets, including Mexico City's Public Release 9-1-1 Emergency Calls, National Institute of Statistics and Geography's (INEGI) Traffic Accidents Micro-Dataset, Mexico City's Attorney General's Office Crime Dataset, and Projections of the Population of the Municipalities of Mexico, 2015 to 2030. All statistical analyses were conducted using STATA 17.0.

RESULTS

During the early pandemic period, injury-related 9-1-1 emergency calls, traffic accidents, and crime experienced similar trends in monthly per capita rates at the state-level and borough-levels. While the monthly per capita rates remained constant from January to March 2020, starting in March, there was a precipitous decrease across all three outcomes, although decline rates varied across boroughs. The monthly per capita rates across the three outcomes were higher during the pre-pandemic period compared to the early pandemic period. As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, the monthly per capita rates during the later pandemic period increased across the three outcomes compared to the early pandemic period, although they did not reach pre-pandemic levels during the study period.

CONCLUSION

The precipitous decline in injury-related 9-1-1 calls, traffic accidents, and crime in Mexico City occurred at the same time as the issuance of the first wave of public health orders in March 2020. The largest decrease across the three outcomes occurred one to two months post-issuance of the orders.

Access to Community Support Services among Older Adults in Social Housing in Ontario

Community support services are an integral enabler of aging in place. In social housing, older adult tenants struggle to access these services because of the siloed nature of housing and health services. This study examined the provision of government-funded community support services to 83 seniors’ social housing buildings in Toronto, Ontario. Although there were 56 different agencies operating within the buildings, only about one third of older tenants were actually receiving services. There was a subset of services that were available in more than 80 per cent of the buildings, and the most widely accessed services were food supports, crisis intervention, transportation, caregiver support, and hearing/vision care. There were also many cases in which multiple agencies offered duplicative services within the same building, suggesting that there are opportunities for improving service coordination. Practice recommendations for increasing access to community support services among low-income older adults in social housing are provided.

The development of community paramedicine; a restricted review

Community paramedic roles are expanding internationally, and no review of the literature could be found to guide services in the formation of community paramedicine programmes. For this reason, the aim of this restricted review was to explore and better understand the successes and learnings of community paramedic programmes across five domains being; education requirements, models of delivery, clinical governance and supervision, scope of roles and outcomes. This restricted review was conducted by searching four databases (CENTRAL, ERIC, EMBASE, MEDLINE and Google Scholar) as well as grey literature search from 2001 until 28/12/2021. After screening, 98 articles were included in the narrative synthesis. Most studies were from the USA (n = 37), followed by Canada (n = 29). Most studies reported on outcomes of community paramedicine programmes (n = 50), followed by models of delivery (n = 28). The findings of this review demonstrate a lack of research and understanding in the areas of education and scope of the role for community paramedics. The findings highlight a need to develop common approaches to education and scope of role while maintaining flexibility in addressing community needs. There was an observable lack of standardisation in the implementation of governance and supervision models, which may prevent community paramedicine from realising its full potential. The outcome measures reported show that there is evidence to support the implementation of community paramedicine into healthcare system design. Community paramedicine programmes result in a net reduction in acute healthcare utilisation, appear to be economically viable and result in positive patient outcomes with high patient satisfaction with care. There is a developing pool of evidence to many aspects of community paramedicine programmes. However, at this time, gaps in the literature prevent a definitive recommendation on the impact of community paramedicine programmes on healthcare system functionality.

Predictors of Non-Transport for Older Adult EMS Patients Encountered for Falls

BACKGROUND

Emergency medical services (EMS) encounters for falls among older adults have been linked to poor outcomes when the patient is not transported by EMS to a hospital. However, little is known regarding characteristics of this patient population. Our primary objective was to describe characteristics associated with non-transport among older adult EMS patients encountered for falls.

METHODS

We performed a national retrospective cross-sectional study of 9-1-1 patient contacts from the 2019 ESO Data Collaborative. We included patients who had 9-1-1 encounters for ground-level falls and were aged 60 years or older. Patients residing in congregate living facilities, interfacility transports, cardiac arrests, and suspected drowning patients were excluded. Potential predictors of non-transport included patient demographics, initial vital signs, who requested 9-1-1 service, incident location, alcohol/substance use, and urbanicity. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine associations between non-transport and potential predictors.

RESULTS

We identified 195,204 EMS encounters for older adults who fell in 2019, including 27,563 (14.1%) non-transports. Most patients were female (62.4%), non-Hispanic White (85.4%), and fell at a home or residence (80.4%). Greater odds of non-transport were identified among males (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.32-1.42) and Hispanic/Latino patients (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.14-1.35). Older age was associated with greater odds of non-transport compared to patients aged 60-69 years (70-79 [OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.35-1.49], 80-89 [OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.42-1.59], ≥90 [OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.35-1.55]). Patients residing in Census tracts with larger percentages of the population living in poverty had lower odds of non-transport compared to those in areas with ≤5% in poverty (6-15% poverty [OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.78-0.84), 15-25% poverty [OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.73-0.82], and >25% poverty [OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.72-0.84]).

CONCLUSION

Males, older age groups, and Hispanic/Latino patients had higher odds of non-transport among this population of community-dwelling adults age 60 or greater. These findings may inform development of future targeted falls-related mobile integrated health or community paramedic services and referrals to community intervention programs. Future work is needed to understand underlying patient and clinician perspectives driving non-transport decisions among these patients to better equip EMS clinicians with tools and information on tailored risk/benefit discussions.

Feasibility of the Transport PLUS intervention to improve the transitions of care for patients transported home by ambulance: a non-randomized pilot study

Background

The growing population of patients over the age of 65 faces particular vulnerability following discharge after hospitalization or an emergency room visit. Specific areas of concern include a high risk for falls and poor comprehension of discharge instructions. Emergency medical technicians (EMTs), who frequently transport these patients home from the hospital, are uniquely positioned to aid in mitigating transition of care risks and are both trained and utilized to do so using the Transport PLUS intervention.

Methods

Existing literature and focus groups of various stakeholders were utilized to develop two checklists: the fall safety assessment (FSA) and the discharge comprehension assessment (DCA). EMTs were trained to administer the intervention to eligible patients in the geriatric population. Using data from the checklists, follow-up phone calls, and electronic health records, we measured the presence of hazards, removal of hazards, the presence of discharge comprehension issues, and correction or reinforcement of comprehension. These results were validated during home visits by community health workers (CHWs). Feasibility outcomes included patient acceptance of the Transport PLUS intervention and accuracy of the EMT assessment. Qualitative feedback via focus groups was also obtained. Clinical outcomes measured included 3-day and 30-day readmission or ED revisit.

Results

One-hundred three EMTs were trained to administer the intervention and participated in 439 patient encounters. The intervention was determined to be feasible, and patients were highly amenable to the intervention, as evidenced by a 92% and 74% acceptance rate of the DCA and FSA, respectively. The majority of patients also reported that they found the intervention helpful (90%) and self-reported removing 40% of fall hazards; 85% of such changes were validated by CHWs. Readmission/revisit rates are also reported.

Conclusions

The Transport PLUS intervention is a feasible, easily implemented tool in preventative community paramedicine with high levels of patient acceptance. Further study is merited to determine the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing rates of readmission or revisit. A randomized control trial has since begun utilizing the knowledge gained within this study.

Multimethod Process Evaluation of a Community Paramedic Delivered Care Transitions Intervention for Older Emergency Department Patients

OBJECTIVE

We assessed fidelity of delivery and participant engagement in the implementation of a community paramedic coach-led Care Transitions Intervention (CTI) program adapted for use following emergency department (ED) visits.

METHODS

The adapted CTI for ED-to-home transitions was implemented at three university-affiliated hospitals in two cities from 2016 to 2019. Participants were aged ≥60 years old and discharged from the ED within 24 hours of arrival. In the current analysis, participants had to have received the CTI. Community paramedic coaches collected data on program delivery and participant characteristics at each transition contact via inventories and assessments. Participants provided commentary on the acceptability of the adapted CTI. Using a multimethod approach, the CTI implementation was assessed quantitatively for site- and coach-level differences. Qualitatively, barriers to implementation and participant satisfaction with the CTI were thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

Of the 863 patient participants, 726 (84.1%) completed their home visits. Cancellations were usually patient-generated (94.9%). Most planned follow-up visits were successfully completed (94.6%). Content on the planning for red flags and post-discharge goal setting was discussed with high rates of fidelity overall (95% and greater), while content on outpatient follow-up was lower overall (75%). Differences in service delivery between the two sites existed for the in-person visit and the first phone follow-up, but the differences narrowed as the study progressed. Participants showed a 24.6% increase in patient activation (i.e., behavioral adoption) over the 30-day study period (p < 0.001).Overall, participants reported that the program was beneficial for managing their health, the quality of coaching was high, and that the program should continue. Not all participants felt that they needed the program. Community paramedic coaches reported barriers to CTI delivery due to patient medical problems and difficulties with phone visit coordination. Coaches also noted refusal to communicate or engage with the intervention as an implementation barrier.

CONCLUSIONS

Community paramedic coaches delivered the adapted CTI with high fidelity across geographically distant sites and successfully facilitated participant engagement, highlighting community paramedics as an effective resource for implementing such patient-centered interventions.

Health knowledge and self-efficacy to make health behaviour changes: a survey of older adults living in Ontario social housing

BACKGROUND

Older adults living in social housing are a vulnerable population facing unique challenges with health literacy and chronic disease self-management. We investigated this population's knowledge of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus, and self-efficacy to make health behaviour changes (for example, physical activity). This study characterized the relationship between knowledge of health risk factors and self-efficacy to improve health behaviours, in order to determine the potential for future interventions to improve these traits.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study (health behaviour survey) with adults ages 55+ (n = 599) from 16 social housing buildings across five Ontario communities. Descriptive analyses conducted for demographics, cardiovascular disease and diabetes knowledge, and self-efficacy. Subgroup analyses for high-risk groups were performed. Multivariate logistic regressions models were used to evaluate associations of self-efficacy outcomes with multiple factors.

RESULTS

Majority were female (75.6%), white (89.4%), and completed high school or less (68.7%). Some chronic disease subgroups had higher knowledge for those conditions. Significant (p < 0.05) associations were observed between self-efficacy to increase physical activity and knowledge, intent to change, and being currently active; self-efficacy to increase fruit/vegetable intake and younger age, knowledge, and intent to change; self-efficacy to reduce alcohol and older age; self-efficacy to reduce smoking and intent to change, ability to handle crises, lower average number of cigarettes smoked daily, and less frequent problems with usual activities; self-efficacy to reduce stress and ability to handle crises.

CONCLUSIONS

Those with chronic diseases had greater knowledge about chronic disease. Those with greater ability to handle personal crises and intention to make change had greater self-efficacy to change health behaviours. Development of stress management skills may improve self-efficacy, and proactive health education may foster knowledge before chronic disease develops.

Designing and Governing Responsive Local Care Systems - Insights from a Scoping Review of Paramedics in Integrated Models of Care

Introduction

Programs that fill gaps in fractured health and social services in response to local needs can provide insight on enacting integrated care. Grassroots programs and the changing roles of paramedics within them were analyzed to explore how the health workforce, organizations and governance could support integrated care.

Methods

A study was conducted following Arksey and O'Malley's method for scoping reviews, using Valentijn's Rainbow Model of Integrated Care as an organizing framework. Qualitative content analysis was done on clinical, professional, organizational, system, functional and normative aspects of integration. Common patterns, challenges and gaps were documented.

Results

After literature search and screening, 137 documents with 108 unique programs were analysed. Paramedics bridge reactive and preventative care for a spectrum of population needs through partnerships with hospitals, social services, primary care and public health. Programs encountered challenges with role delineation, segregated organizations, regulation and tensions in professional norms.

Discussion

Five concepts were identified for fostering integrated care in local systems: single point-of-entry care pathways; flexible and mobile workforce; geographically-based cross-cutting organizations; permissive regulation; and assessing system-level value.

Conclusion

Integrated care may be supported by a generalist health workforce, through cross-cutting organizations that work across silos, and legislation that balances standardization with flexibility.

"We could be good partners if we work together": the perspectives of health and social service providers on the barriers to forming collaborative partnerships with social housing providers for older adults

BACKGROUND

Many older adults are aging-at-home in social housing. However, the lack of integration between housing and health services makes it difficult for older tenants to access needed supports. We examined barriers and facilitators health and social service providers face providing on-site services to older tenants.

METHODS

We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews and focus groups with health and social service professionals (n = 58) in Toronto, Canada who provide community programs in support of older tenants who live in non-profit, rent-geared-to-income social housing. Interviews examined the barriers they faced in providing on-site services to older tenants.

FINDINGS

Service providers strongly believed that collaboration with on-site housing staff led to better health and housing outcomes for older tenants. Despite the recognized benefits of partnering with housing staff, service providers felt that their ability to work effectively in the building was dependent on the staff (particularly the superintendent) assigned to that building. They also identified other barriers that made it difficult to work collaboratively with the housing provider, including staffing challenges such as high staff turnover and confusion about staff roles, a lack of understanding among housing staff about the link between housing and health, challenges sharing confidential information across sectors, and complex and inefficient partnership processes.

CONCLUSION

Older adult tenants are increasingly vulnerable and in need of supports but the housing provider has a long history of ineffective partnerships with service providers driven by complex and inefficient staffing models, and an organizational culture that questions the role of and need for partnerships. Findings highlight the need for more effective integration of housing and health services. Simplified processes for establishing partnerships with service agencies and more opportunities for communication and collaboration with housing staff would ensure that services are reaching the most vulnerable tenants.

The relationship between emergency medical services use and social service needs in a pediatric emergency department population

BACKGROUND

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) use for children is correlated with areas of resource deprivation as well as child maltreatment. Households using EMS may have more social needs and be willing to accept services.

OBJECTIVE

To compare social service needs and willingness to accept services in families arriving to a pediatric emergency department (ED) via EMS vs non-EMS, before and during COVID-19.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Caregivers of children 0-5 years old in a quaternary pediatric ED, with a 1:1 ratio of EMS vs non-EMS arrivals.

METHODS

Participants completed a survey of demographics, social service needs, and willingness to accept services, before and during COVID-19.

RESULTS

Of 220 participants, 84 were enrolled before COVID-19. The EMS group reported less full-time employment (34.6% vs 51.8%, p < 0.05) and more social service needs (2.47 vs 1.76 needs, p < 0.05). Mean score for willingness to accept a service provider in the home was 3.62 for EMS and 3.19 for non-EMS (p = 0.09). Mean score for accepting a phone referral was 3.84 for EMS and 3.40 for non-EMS (p = 0.07). COVID-19 impacted needs for both groups (20.9% EMS vs 30.3% non-EMS). For all subjects presenting to the ED, COVID-19 was associated with decreased food insecurity (28.6% vs 15.4%) and children with a chronic medical condition (31.0% vs 12.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

The EMS group had more social service needs. There was no difference in social services acceptance. COVID-19 affected both groups' needs. Future interventions may use EMS systems to mitigate social service needs which may be risk factors for child abuse.

Perceptions of Risk: Perspectives on Crime and Safety in Public Housing for Older Adults

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

An increasing number of older adults are aging-in-place in public housing. Public housing is perceived to have higher rates of crime that have detrimental impacts on health and wellbeing. We used a qualitative approach to understand the experiences of safety and unsafety for older adults in public housing.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Participants included older adult tenants (n=58) as well as service providers (n=58) that offer supports directly in the buildings. Semi-structured qualitative interviews and focus groups were used to explore: (1) what makes the buildings feel unsafe; (2) how safety concerns impact access to support services; and (3) strategies used to promote safety.

RESULTS

Participants acknowledged the importance of safety for creating a home-like environment; however, many described feeling unsafe at home or work. Participants described extreme examples of antisocial behaviors that were pervasive and viewed as commonplace. Lack of building security was a key issue, which was compounded by a perceived lack of accountability. While service providers were willing to accept a certain level of risk, many acknowledged that unsafe situations forced them to withdraw in-home services or stop community programs, further contributing to feelings of unsafety. In the absence of effective formal security, participants described several measures taken to mitigate risk.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Our findings point to the need for enhanced physical and environmental safety infrastructure, improved building management, increased on-site security, as well as other proactive measures to reduce risk by creating greater sense of connection and community within the buildings.

Community nurse-paramedics' sphere of practice in primary care; an ethnographic study

Background

Primary care, the principal function of the health care system, requires effort from all local primary health care teams. Community Paramedicine (CP) has managed to reduce the use of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for non-emergency calls, but for the paramedic to move from traditional emergency calls to non-emergency care will mean new demands. There is a paucity of research exploring nurse-paramedics’ experiences and perceptions of their novel roles as community paramedics in Finland. This study aims to explore the community nurse-paramedics’ (CNP) experiences in their new sphere of practice.

Methods

A descriptive ethnographic study was conducted, to collect data through participant observation (317 h total) and semi-structured interviews (N = 22) in three hospital districts (HD) where the CNPs have worked for at least 1 year. Both data sets were combined, organised, and analysed using inductive content analysis.

Results

Five main categories were developed by applying inductive content analysis: the new way of thinking, the broad group of patients, the way to provide care, the diversity of multidisciplinary collaboration, and tailored support from the organisation. The CNP was identified as needing an appropriate attitude towards care and a broader way of thinking compared to the traditional practice of taking care of the patient and the family members. The diversity of multidisciplinary collaboration teams can be a sensitive but worthwhile topic for offering new possibilities. Tailored support from the organisation includes tools for future CP models.

Conclusions

Our results indicate the CNPs’ deep involvement in patients’ and families’ care needs and challenges with their skills and competencies. Their professional attitudes and eagerness to develop and maintain multidisciplinary collaboration can offer preventive and long-term caring solutions from which citizens, allied health, safety, and social care providers benefit locally and globally.

Improving Primary Health Care for Residents Living in Assisted Living: Evidence for Practice and Policy

The fact that there is a large and growing number of older Canadians has generated a sense of urgency in improving seniors' access to health and long-term care services. Many provincial health care systems have engaged in a range of reforms to help older adults remain healthy and independent. Although many transformational changes have taken place across Canada to improve primary care, variations exist across provinces and territories in terms of older adults' access to primary health care. Opportunities exist for provinces to learn from successful reforms implemented in other Canadian jurisdictions. Residents of assisted living (AL) facilities are an ideal group to whom to target primary health care reforms, given the important role these facilities play in the care continuum and the complex needs of their residents. Allowing practitioners to practice to their full scope and assume greater responsibility within the health care system is a strategy adopted in some jurisdictions with success. This article reports on reforms that have been made to expand the scopes of practice of nurse practitioners and paramedics in some provinces, but also have the potential to improve access to primary health care for those living in AL across the entire country, including those living in smaller provinces such as New Brunswick.

Paramedics working in general practice: a scoping review

Background: The term ‘paramedic’ has traditionally related to a healthcare professional trained to provide pre-hospital emergency care; however, paramedics are increasingly taking on novel additional non-emergency roles. General practice is facing unprecedented demand for its services related to rising expectations, an aging society and increased prevalence of chronic disease. Paramedics may be recruited to work in general practice to meet some of these demands. We undertook a scoping review to map the current literature considering paramedics working in general practice and inform follow-on research. Methods: We employed the six-stage scoping review framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley. Our research question was ‘to identify the scope of practice, nature of training/qualifications, challenges faced, and impacts of paramedics working in general practice’. Results: After searching PUBMED (Medline, n = 487), EMBASE (n = 536) and the Cochrane Library (n = 0) in June 2020, we identified eleven full-text articles that met our inclusion criteria. The literature suggests that paramedics have diverse skills that enable roles within general practice, some of which are context specific. Additional training is considered necessary to facilitate the transition from emergency care to general practice. We found no research that quantitatively assessed the impact of paramedics working in general practice on healthcare expenditure or patient health outcomes. Conclusions: There is a paucity of empiric scientific literature considering paramedic working in general practice. Further research is needed to inform training pathways, the structure of clinical practice and to measure outcomes.

Reshaping healthcare delivery for elderly patients: the role of community paramedicine; a systematic review

Background

Healthcare systems are overloaded and changing. In response to growing demands on the healthcare systems, new models of healthcare delivery are emerging. Community paramedicine is a novel approach in which paramedics use their knowledge and skills beyond emergency health response to contribute to preventative and rehabilitative health. In our systematic review, we aimed to identify evidence of the community paramedicine role in care delivery for elderly patients, with an additional focus on palliative care, and the possible impact of this role on the wider healthcare system.

Methods

A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature from MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Sciences was undertaken to identify relevant full-text articles in English published until October 3, 2019. Additional inclusion criteria were studies focussing on extended care paramedics or community paramedics caring for elderly patients. Case studies were excluded. All papers were screened by at least two authors and underwent a quality assessment, using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal checklists for cross sectional, qualitative, cohort, and randomised controlled trial studies to assess the methodological quality of the articles. A process of narrative synthesis was used to summarise the data.

Results

Ten studies, across 13 articles, provided clear evidence that Community Paramedic programs had a positive impact on the health of patients and on the wider healthcare system. The role of a Community Paramedic was often a combination of four aspects: assessment, referral, education and communication. Limited evidence was available on the involvement of Community Paramedics in palliative and end-of-life care and in care delivery in residential aged care facilities. Observed challenges were a lack of additional training, and the need for proper integration and understanding of their role in the healthcare system.

Conclusions

The use of community paramedics in care delivery could be beneficial to both patients’ health and the wider healthcare system. They already play a promising role in improving the care of our elderly population. With consistent adherence to the training curriculum and effective integration within the wider healthcare system, community paramedics have the potential to take on specialised roles in residential aged care facilities and palliative and end-of-life care.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-020-06037-0.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a community paramedicine programme for low-income seniors living in subsidised housing: the community paramedicine at clinic programme (CP@clinic)

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the Community Paramedicine at Clinic (CP@clinic) programme compared with usual care in seniors residing in subsidised housing.

DESIGN

A cost-utility analysis was conducted within a large pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT). Subsidised housing buildings were matched by sociodemographics and location (rural/urban), and allocated to intervention (CP@clinic for 1 year) or control (usual care) via computer-assisted paired randomisation.

SETTING

Thirty-two subsidised seniors' housing buildings in Ontario.

PARTICIPANTS

Building residents 55 years and older.

INTERVENTION

CP@clinic is a weekly community paramedic-led, chronic disease prevention and health promotion programme in the building common areas. CP@clinic is free to residents and includes risk assessments, referrals to resources, and reports back to family physicians.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained, measured with EQ-5D-3L. QALYs were estimated using area-under-the curve over the 1-year intervention, controlling for preintervention utility scores and building pairings. Programme cost data were collected before and during implementation. Costs associated with emergency medical services (EMS) use were estimated. An incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) based on incremental costs and health outcomes between groups was calculated. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis using bootstrapping was performed.

RESULTS

The RCT included 1461 residents; 146 and 125 seniors completed the EQ-5D-3L in intervention and control buildings, respectively. There was a significant adjusted mean QALY gain of 0.03 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.05) for the intervention group. Total programme cost for implementing in five communities was $C128 462 and the reduction in EMS calls avoided an estimated $C256 583. The ICER was $C2933/QALY (bootstrapped mean ICER with Fieller's 95% CI was $4850 ($2246 to $12 396)) but could be even more cost effective after accounting for the EMS call reduction.

CONCLUSION

The CP@clinic ICER was well below the commonly used Canadian cost-utility threshold of $C50 000. CP@clinic scale-up across subsidised housing is feasible and could result in better health-related quality-of-life and reduced EMS use in low-income seniors.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02152891.

Poverty and food insecurity of older adults living in social housing in Ontario: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Poverty and food insecurity have been linked to poor health and morbidity, especially in older adults. Housing is recognized as a social determinant of health, and very little is known about subjective poverty and food insecurity in the marginalized population of older adults living in subsidized social housing. We sought to understand poverty and food insecurity, as well as the risk factors associated with both outcomes, in older adults living in social housing in Ontario.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study using data collected from the Community Paramedicine at Clinic (CP@clinic) program. A total of 806 adult participants residing in designated seniors' or mixed family-seniors' social housing buildings attended CP@clinic within 14 communities across Ontario, Canada.

RESULTS

The proportion of older adults reporting poverty and food insecurity were 14.9 and 5.1%, respectively. Statistically significant risk factors associated with poverty were being a smoker (AOR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.23-4.62), self-reporting feeling extremely anxious and/or depressed (AOR = 3.39, 95% CI: 1.34-8.62), and being food insecure (AOR = 23.52, 95% CI: 8.75-63.22). Statistically significant risk factors associated with food insecurity were being underweight (AOR = 19.79, 95% CI: 1.91-204.80) and self-reporting experiencing poverty (AOR = 23.87, 95% CI: 8.78-64.90). In those who self-reported being food secure, the dietary habits reported were consistent with a poor diet.

CONCLUSION

The poverty rate was lower than expected which could be related to the surrounding environment and perceptions around wealth. Food insecurity was approximately twice that of the general population of older adults in Canada, which could be related to inaccessibility and increased barriers to healthy foods. For those who reported being food secure, dietary habits were considered poor. While social housing may function as a financial benefit and reduce perceived poverty, future interventions are needed to improve the quality of diet consumed by this vulnerable population.

Design and rationale for a pragmatic cluster randomized trial of the Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP) for social housing residents in Ontario and Quebec, Canada

BACKGROUND

The Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP) uses volunteers to provide cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes screening in a community setting, referrals to primary care providers, and locally available programs targeting lifestyle modification. CHAP has been adapted to target older adults residing in social housing, a vulnerable segment of the population. Older adults living in social housing report poorer health status and have a higher burden of a multitude of chronic illnesses, such as CVD and diabetes. The study objective is to evaluate whether there is a reduction in unplanned CVD-related Emergency Department (ED) visits and hospital admissions among residents of social seniors' housing buildings receiving the CHAP program for 1 year compared to residents in matched buildings not receiving the program.

METHODS/DESIGN

This is a pragmatic, cluster randomized controlled trial in community-based social (subsidized) housing buildings in Ontario and Quebec. All residents of 14 matched pairs (intervention/control) of apartment buildings will be included. Buildings with 50-200 apartment units with the majority of residents aged 55+ and a unique postal code are included. All individuals residing within the buildings at the start of the intervention period are included (intention to treat, open cohort). The intervention instrument consists of CHAP screens for high blood pressure using automated blood pressure monitors and for diabetes using the Canadian Diabetes Risk (CANRISK) assessment tool. Monthly drop-in sessions for screening/monitoring are held within a common area of the building. Group health education sessions are also held monthly. Reports are sent to family doctors, and attendees are encouraged to visit their family doctor. The primary outcome measure is monthly CVD-related ED visits and hospitalizations over a 1-year period post randomization. Secondary outcomes are all ED visits, hospitalizations, quality of life, cost-effectiveness, and participant experience.

DISCUSSION

It is anticipated that CVD-related ED visits and hospitalizations will decrease in the intervention buildings. Using the volunteer-led CHAP program, there is significant opportunity to improve the health of older adults in social housing.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov,NCT03549845. Registered on 15 May 2018. Updated on 21 May 2019.

Examining consensus for a standardised patient assessment in community paramedicine home visits: a RAND/UCLA-modified Delphi Study

OBJECTIVE

Community paramedicine programme are often designed to address repeated and non-urgent use of paramedic services by providing patients with alternatives to the traditional 'treat and transport' ambulance model of care. We sought to investigate the level of consensus that could be found by a panel of experts regarding appropriate health, social and environmental domains that should be assessed in community paramedicine home visit programme.

DESIGN

We applied the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method in a modified Delphi method to investigate the level of consensus on assessment domains for use in community paramedicine home visit programme.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

We included a multi-national panel of 17 experts on community paramedicine and in-home assessment from multiple settings (paramedicine, primary care, mental health, home and community care, geriatric care).

MEASURES

A list of potential assessment categories was established after a targeted literature review and confirmed by panel members. Over multiple rounds, panel members scored the appropriateness of 48 assessment domains on a Likert scale from 0 (not appropriate) to 5 (very appropriate). Scores were then reviewed at an in-person meeting and a finalised list of assessment domains was generated.

RESULTS

After the preliminary round of scoring, all 48 assessment domains had scores that demonstrated consensus. Nine assessment domains (18.8%) demonstrated a wider range of rated appropriateness. No domains were found to be not appropriate. Achieving consensus about the appropriateness of assessment domains on the first round of scoring negated the need for subsequent rounds of scoring. The in-person meeting resulted in re-grouping assessment domains and adding an additional domain about urinary continence.

CONCLUSION

An international panel of experts with knowledge about in-home assessment by community paramedics demonstrated a high level of agreement on appropriate patient assessment domains for community paramedicine home visit programme. Community paramedicine home visit programme are likely to have similar patient populations. A standardised assessment instrument may be viable in multiple settings.