Applying systems thinking to identify enablers and challenges to scale-up interventions for hypertension and diabetes in low-income and middle-income countries: protocol for a longitudinal mixed-methods study.

INTRODUCTION: There is an urgent need to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly in low-and middle-income countries, where the greatest burden lies. Yet, there is little research concerning the specific issues involved in scaling up NCD interventions targeting low-resource settings. We propose to examine this gap in up to 27 collaborative projects, which were funded by the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) 2019 Scale Up Call, reflecting a total funding investment of approximately US$50 million. These projects represent diverse countries, contexts and adopt varied approaches and study designs to scale-up complex, evidence-based interventions to improve hypertension and diabetes outcomes. A systematic inquiry of these projects will provide necessary scientific insights into the enablers and challenges in the scale up of complex NCD interventions. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will apply systems thinking (a holistic approach to analyse the inter-relationship between constituent parts of scaleup interventions and the context in which the interventions are implemented) and adopt a longitudinal mixed-methods study design to explore the planning and early implementation phases of scale up projects. Data will be gathered at three time periods, namely, at planning (TP), initiation of implementation (T0) and 1-year postinitiation (T1). We will extract project-related data from secondary documents at TP and conduct multistakeholder qualitative interviews to gather data at T0 and T1. We will undertake descriptive statistical analysis of TP data and analyse T0 and T1 data using inductive thematic coding. The data extraction tool and interview guides were developed based on a literature review of scale-up frameworks. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The current protocol was approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC number 23482). Informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and more broadly through the GACD network.

Economic Analysis of Mobile Integrated Health Care Delivered by Emergency Medical Services Paramedic Teams.

Importance: Mobile integrated health care (MIH) is a new model of community-based health care to provide on-site urgent or nonurgent care. Niagara emergency medical services (NEMS) started MIH in 2018 to serve the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada. However, its economic impact is unknown. Objective: To compare time on task and cost between MIH and ambulance delivered by NEMS from a public payer's perspective. Design, Setting, and Participants: This economic evaluation was an analysis of the NEMS databases regarding responses to emergency calls by the NEMS from 2016 to 2019. Emergency calls serviced by MIH in 2018 to 2019 were used as an intervention cohort. Propensity score matching was used to identify a 1:1 matched cohort of calls serviced by regular ambulance response for the same period and 2 years prior. Statistical analyses were performed from January to April 2020. Exposures: MIH compared with matched ambulance services. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcomes were the time on task (including time on scene and time at hospital) and costs. Costs were calculated in 2019 Canadian dollars using cost per minute and compared with the 3 ambulance cohorts. Results: In 2018 to 2019, there were 1740 calls serviced by MIH for which a matched ambulance cohort was identified for the same period and 2 years prior. The mean (SD) time on task was 72.7 (51.0) minutes for MIH, compared with 84.1 (52.0) minutes, 84.3 (54.1) minutes, and 79.4 (42.0) minutes for matched ambulance in 2018 to 2019, 2017 to 2018, and 2016 to 2017, respectively. Of calls serviced by MIH, 498 (28.6%) required ED transport (ie, after MIH team assessment, transport to ED was deemed to be necessary or demanded by the patient), compared with 1300 (74.7%) calls serviced by ambulance in 2018 to 2019, 1294 (74.4%) in 2017 to 2018, and 1359 (78.1%) in 2016 to 2017. The mean (SD) total cost per 1000 calls was $122 760 ($78 635) for MIH compared with $294 336 ($97 245), $299 797 ($104 456), and $297 269 ($81 144) for regular ambulance responses in the 3 matched cohorts, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Compared with regular ambulance response, MIH was associated with a substantial reduction in the proportion of patients transported to the ED, leading to a substantial saving in total costs. This finding suggests that the MIH model is a promising and viable solution to meeting urgent health care needs in the community, while substantially improving the use of scarce health care resources.

Community paramedicine: A systematic review of program descriptions and training.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to identify the types of community paramedicine programs and the training for each. METHODS: A systematic review of MEDLINE, Embase, grey literature, and bibliographies followed a search strategy using common community paramedicine terms. All studies published in English up to January 22, 2018, were captured. Screening and extraction were completed in duplicate by two independent reviewers. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess studies' methodological quality (full methodology on PROSPERO: CRD42017051774). RESULTS: From 3,004 papers, there were 64 papers identified (58 unique community paramedicine programs). Of the papers with an appraisable study design (40.6%), the median MMAT score was 3 of 4 criteria met, suggesting moderate quality. Programs most often served frequent 911 callers (48.3%) and individuals at risk for emergency department admission, readmission, or hospitalization (41.4%); and 70.7% of programs were preventive home visits. Common services provided were home assessment (29.5%), medication management (39.7%), and referral and/or transport to community services (37.9%); and 77.6% of programs involved interprofessional collaboration. Community paramedicine training was described by 57% of programs and expanded upon traditional paramedicine training and emphasized technical skills. Study heterogeneity prevented meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: Community paramedicine programs and training were diverse and allowed community paramedics to address a spectrum of population health and social needs. Training was poorly described. Enabling more programs to assess and report on program and training outcomes would support community paramedicine growth and the development of formalized training or education frameworks.

OBJECTIF: L'étude visait à relever les différents types de programmes de paramédecine communautaire et à décrire la formation donnée dans chacun d'eux. MÉTHODE: Une revue systématique des bases de données MEDLINE et Embase, de la documentation parallèle ainsi que de bibliographies a été entreprise à la suite d'une stratégie de recherche élaborée à l'aide de termes utilisés souvent en paramédecine communautaire. Ont été saisies toutes les études publiées en anglais jusqu'au 22 janvier 2018. Le tri et l'extraction des données ont été faits en double, par deux examinateurs indépendants. L'évaluation de la qualité méthodologique des études a été réalisée à l'aide de l'instrument Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) (description complète de la méthode dans PROSPERO : CRD42017051774). RÉSULTATS: Sur 3004 articles relevés, 64 ont été retenus (58 programmes distincts de paramédecine communautaire). Le score médian MMAT des articles présentant un plan d'étude susceptible d'évaluation (40,6%) était de 3 sur 4 quant au respect des critères établis, résultat évocateur d'une qualité moyenne. Les programmes avaient surtout pour cible les usagers fréquents du service 911 (48,3%) et les personnes susceptibles d'admission ou de réadmission au service des urgences, ou encore d'hospitalisation (41,4%); 70,7% des programmes portaient sur les visites préventives à domicile. Les services fréquemment offerts étaient les évaluations à domicile (29,5%), le contrôle de la pharmacothérapie (39,7%) et l'orientation ou le transport des malades vers des services communautaires (37,9%); 77,6% des programmes incluaient un volet de collaboration interprofessionnelle. La formation en paramédecine communautaire a été décrite par 57% des programmes et étendu sur le champ de pratique habituel de la paramédecine traditionnelle et visait l'acquisition de compétences techniques. Enfin, il n'a pas été possible de procéder à une méta-analyse en raison de l'hétérogénéité des études. CONCLUSION: Les programmes de paramédecine communautaire et la formation afférente sont diversifiés et permettent, de ce fait, aux professionnels du domaine de répondre à un large éventail de besoins sociaux et de besoins en matière de santé de la population. Pour ce qui est des descriptions de la formation donnée, elles étaient insuffisantes. Si les responsables de programmes étaient tenus d'évaluer les programmes et la formation offerte et de faire état des résultats obtenus, cela favoriserait le développement de la paramédecine communautaire et l'élaboration de cadres structurés d'études ou de formation.

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.

Objective: Older adults account for 38-48% of emergency medical service (EMS) calls, have more chronic diseases, and those with low income have lower quality of life. Mobile integrated health and community paramedicine may help address these health inequalities and reduce EMS calls. This study examines the effectiveness of the Community Paramedicine at Clinic (CP@clinic) program in decreasing EMS calls and improving health outcomes in low-income older adults. Methods: This was an open-label, pragmatic, cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted within subsidized public housing buildings for older adults in 5 paramedic services across Ontario, Canada. A total of 30 apartment buildings were eligible (>50 units, >60% of units occupied by older adults, unique postal code, available match for pairing). Paired buildings were randomly allocated to intervention (CP@clinic for one year) or control (usual care) via computer-generated randomization. The CP@clinic intervention is a community-based, paramedic-led, health promotion and disease prevention program held weekly in building common rooms. CP@clinic includes risk assessment with validated tools, decision support, health promotion, referrals to resources, and reports back to family doctors. All residents could participate, but only older adults (55 years and older) were included in analyses. The primary outcome was building-level EMS calls from paramedic service databases. Secondary outcomes were individual-level changes in chronic disease risk factors and quality-adjusted-life-years (QALYs). Data were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations to account for clustering by sites. Results: Intention-to-treat analysis showed no significant difference in EMS calls (mean difference = -0.37/100 apartment units/month, 95%CI: -0.98 to 0.24). Sensitivity analysis excluding data from 2 building pairs with eligibility changes after intervention initiation revealed a significant difference in EMS calls in favor of the intervention buildings (mean difference = -0.90/100 apartment units/month, 95%CI: -1.54 to -0.26). At the individual level, there was a significant QALY increase (mean difference = 0.06, 95%CI: 0.02 to 0.10) and blood pressure decrease (systolic mean change = 3.65 mmHg, 95%CI: 2.37 to 4.94; diastolic mean change = 2.03 mmHg, 95%CI: 1.00 to 3.06). Conclusions: CP@clinic showed a significant decrease in EMS calls, decrease in BP, and improvement in QALYs among older adults in subsidizing public housing, suggesting this simple program should be replicated in other communities with public housing. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, Registration no. NCT02152891.

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

BACKGROUND: Low-income older adults who live in subsidized housing have higher mortality and morbidity. We aimed to determine if a community paramedicine program - in which paramedics provide health care services outside of the traditional emergency response - reduced the number of ambulance calls to subsidized housing for older adults. METHODS: We conducted an open-label pragmatic cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) with parallel intervention and control groups in subsidized apartment buildings for older adults. We selected 6 buildings using predefined criteria, which we then randomly assigned to intervention (Community Paramedicine at Clinic [CP@clinic] for 1 yr) or control (usual health care) using computer-generated paired randomization. CP@clinic is a paramedic-led, community-based health promotion program to prevent diabetes, cardiovascular disease and falls for residents 55 years of age and older. The primary outcome was building-level mean monthly ambulance calls. Secondary outcomes were individual-level changes in blood pressure, health behaviours and risk of diabetes assessed using the Canadian Diabetes Risk Questionnaire. We analyzed the data using generalized estimating equations and hierarchical linear modelling. RESULTS: The 3 intervention and 3 control buildings had 455 and 637 residents, respectively. Mean monthly ambulance calls in the intervention buildings (3.11 [standard deviation (SD) 1.30] calls per 100 units/mo) was significantly lower (-0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.45 to -1.30) than in control buildings (3.99 [SD 1.17] calls per 100 units/mo), when adjusted for baseline calls and building pairs. Survey participation was 28.4% (n = 129) and 20.3% (n = 129) in the intervention and control buildings, respectively. Residents living in the intervention buildings showed significant improvement compared with those living in control buildings in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) (mean difference 0.09, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.17) and ability to perform usual activities (odds ratio 2.6, 95% CI 1.2 to 5.8). Those who received the intervention had a significant decrease in systolic (mean change 5.0, 95% CI 1.0 to 9.0) and diastolic (mean change 4.8, 95% CI 1.9 to 7.6) blood pressure. INTERPRETATION: A paramedic-led, community-based health promotion program (CP@clinic) significantly lowered the number of ambulance calls, improved QALYs and ability to perform usual activities, and lowered systolic blood pressure among older adults living in subsidized housing. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, no. NCT02152891.