The CHAP-EMS health promotion program: a qualitative study on participants’ views of the role of paramedics

Abstract

BackgroundExpanded roles for paramedics, commonly termed community paramedicine, are becoming increasingly common. Paramedics working in community paramedicine roles represent a distinct departure away from the traditional emergency paradigm of paramedic services. Despite this, little research has addressed how community paramedics are perceived by their clients.MethodsThis study took an interpretivist qualitative approach to examine participants’ perceptions of paramedics providing a community paramedicine program, named the Community Health Assessment Program through Emergency Medical Services (CHAP-EMS). Both participant observation and semi-structured interviews conducted with program participants were used to gain insight into the on-the-ground experiences of the program. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze all data.ResultsThree themes emerged: i) Caring and trusting relationships; ii) paramedics as health advocates; iii) the added value of EMS skills. Paramedics were perceived by residents as having dual identities: first in a novel role as health advocates and secondly in a traditional role as emergency experts despite lacking contextual features associated with emergency response.ConclusionsFrom this exploratory, qualitative study we present an emerging framework in which to conceptualize paramedic roles in community paramedicine settings. Future research should address the saliency of these roles in different contexts and how these roles relate to paramedic practice.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1687-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The core components of Community Paramedicine – integrated care in primary care setting: a scoping review

“…The multi‐agency collaboration was described in terms of partnership, multidisciplinary, collaboration, and integrated care . Two of the articles and reports identified Community Paramedicine as a model of integrated healthcare (MIH) providing care for patients at home or in other nonurgent settings outside the hospital .…”

“…Patients were described in terms of frequent caller, discharged patient, home‐bound, senior and long‐term patient . The prevention methods of CP varied.…”

Factors Influencing Emergency Care by Persons With Dementia: Stakeholder Perceptions and Unmet Needs

“…The existing 911 system structure allows CPs to be responsive quickly, particularly when clinics are closed, but this may adversely impact the 911 system or be cost prohibitive if the program is improperly implemented. Understanding their trusted role as paramedics, patients/families are also less hesitant to contact them with questions or for a problem . If integrated fully into a healthcare team/system, CPs could function alongside or as an alternative to case managers, providing families with another resource to help with acute problems and preventative efforts.…”

“…Understanding their trusted role as paramedics, patients/families are also less hesitant to contact them with questions or for a problem. 47,48 If integrated fully into a healthcare team/system, CPs could function alongside or as an alternative to case managers, providing families with another resource to help with acute problems and preventative efforts. CP interventions have been employed with older adult populations as a method of reducing acute care services, 49,50 but their efficacy with PwD is unknown.…”

Evaluation of a community paramedicine health promotion and lifestyle risk assessment program for older adults who live in social housing: a cluster randomized trial

“…This indicates that CP@clinic may have kept participants healthy at home because of the components of the intervention itself or the social effect that it has created in the buildings as noted in our previous study. 41 …”