Ambulance Services Attendance for Mental Health and Overdose Before and During COVID-19 in Canada and the United Kingdom: Interrupted Time Series Study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health and health care systems worldwide. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on ambulance attendances for mental health and overdose, comparing similar regions in the United Kingdom and Canada that implemented different public health measures. METHODS: An interrupted time series study of ambulance attendances was conducted for mental health and overdose in the United Kingdom (East Midlands region) and Canada (Hamilton and Niagara regions). Data were obtained from 182,497 ambulance attendance records for the study period of December 29, 2019, to August 1, 2020. Negative binomial regressions modeled the count of attendances per week per 100,000 population in the weeks leading up to the lockdown, the week the lockdown was initiated, and the weeks following the lockdown. Stratified analyses were conducted by sex and age. RESULTS: Ambulance attendances for mental health and overdose had very small week-over-week increases prior to lockdown (United Kingdom: incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.002, 95% CI 1.002-1.003 for mental health). However, substantial changes were observed at the time of lockdown; while there was a statistically significant drop in the rate of overdose attendances in the study regions of both countries (United Kingdom: IRR 0.573, 95% CI 0.518-0.635 and Canada: IRR 0.743, 95% CI 0.602-0.917), the rate of mental health attendances increased in the UK region only (United Kingdom: IRR 1.125, 95% CI 1.031-1.227 and Canada: IRR 0.922, 95% CI 0.794-1.071). Different trends were observed based on sex and age categories within and between study regions. CONCLUSIONS: The observed changes in ambulance attendances for mental health and overdose at the time of lockdown differed between the UK and Canada study regions. These results may inform future pandemic planning and further research on the public health measures that may explain observed regional differences.

Development of indicators for avoidable emergency medical service calls by mapping paramedic clinical impression codes to ambulatory care sensitive conditions and mental health conditions in the UK and Canada.

OBJECTIVE: Paramedic assessment data have not been used for research on avoidable calls. Paramedic impression codes are designated by paramedics on responding to a 911/999 medical emergency after an assessment of the presenting condition. Ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) are non-acute health conditions not needing hospital admission when properly managed. This study aimed to map the paramedic impression codes to ACSCs and mental health conditions for use in future research on avoidable 911/999 calls. DESIGN: Mapping paramedic impression codes to existing definitions of ACSCs and mental health conditions. SETTING: East Midlands Region, UK and Southern Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Expert panel from the UK-Canada Emergency Calls Data analysis and GEospatial mapping (EDGE) Consortium. RESULTS: Mapping was iterative first identifying the common ACSCs shared between the two countries then identifying the respective clinical impression codes for each country that mapped to those shared ACSCs as well as to mental health conditions. Experts from the UK-Canada EDGE Consortium contributed to both phases and were able to independently match the codes and then compare results. Clinical impression codes for paramedics in the UK were more extensive than those in Ontario. The mapping revealed some interesting inconsistencies between paramedic impression codes but also demonstrated that it was possible. CONCLUSION: This is an important first step in determining the number of ASCSs and mental health conditions that paramedics attend to, and in examining the clinical pathways of these individuals across the health system. This work lays the foundation for international comparative health services research on integrated pathways in primary care and emergency medical services.

Quantifying the escalating impact of paramedic transported emergency department visits for opioid-related conditions in Ontario, Canada: A population-based cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: While overdoses comprise the majority of opioid research, the comprehensive impact of the opioid crisis on emergency departments (EDs) and paramedic services has not been reported. We examined temporal changes in population-adjusted incidence rates of ED visits and paramedic transports due to opioid-related conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study of all ED visits in the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2019 in Ontario, Canada. We included all patients with a primary diagnosis naming opioids as the underlying cause for the visit, without any other drugs or substances. We clustered geographic regions using Local Health Integration Network boundaries. Descriptive statistics, incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to analyze population-adjusted temporal changes. RESULTS: Overall, 86,403 ED visits were included in our study. Incidence of opioid-related ED visits increased by 165% in the study timeframe, with paramedic transported patients increasing by 429%. Per 100,000 residents, annual ED visits increased from 40.4 to 97.2, and paramedic transported patients from 12.1 to 67.9. The proportion of opioid-related ED visits transported by paramedics increased from 35.0% to 69.9%. The medical acuity of opioid-related ED visits increased throughout the years (IRR 6.8. 95% CI 5.9-7.7), though the proportion of discharges remained constant (~75%). The largest increases in ED visits and paramedic transports were concentrated to urbanized regions. DISCUSSION: Opioid-related ED visits and paramedic transports increased substantially between 2009 and 2019. The proportion of ED visits transported by paramedics doubled. Our findings could provide valuable support to health stakeholders in implementing timely strategies aimed at safely reducing opioid-related ED visits. The increased use of paramedics followed by high rates of ED discharge calls for exploration of alternative care models within paramedic systems, such as direct transport to specialized substance abuse centres.

Workplace violence against emergency health care workers: What Strategies do Workers use?

BACKGROUND: Workplace violence by patients and bystanders against health care workers, is a major problem, for workers, organizations, patients, and society. It is estimated to affect up to 95% of health care workers. Emergency health care workers experience very high levels of workplace violence, with one study finding that paramedics had nearly triple the odds of experiencing physical and verbal violence. Many interventions have been developed, ranging from zero-tolerance approaches to engaging with the violent perpetrator. Unfortunately, as a recent Cochrane review showed, there is no evidence that any of these interventions work in reducing or minimizing violence. To design better interventions to prevent and minimize workplace violence, more information is needed on those strategies emergency health care workers currently use to prevent or minimize violence. The objective of the study was to identify and discuss strategies used by prehospital emergency health care workers, in response to violence and aggression from patients and bystanders. Mapping the strategies used and their perceived usefulness will inform the development of tailored interventions to reduce the risk of serious harm to health care workers. In this study the following research questions were addressed: (1) What strategies do prehospital emergency health care workers utilize against workplace violence from patients or bystanders? (2) What is their experience with these strategies? METHODS: Five focus groups with paramedics and dispatchers were held at different urban and rural locations in Canada. The focus group responses were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: It became apparent that emergency healthcare workers use a variety of strategies when dealing with violent patients or bystanders. Most strategies, other than generic de-escalation techniques, reflect a reliance on the systems the workers work with and within. CONCLUSION: The study results support the move away from focusing on the individual worker, who is the victim, to a systems-based approach to help reduce and minimize violence against health care workers. For this to be effective, system-based strategies need to be implemented and supported in healthcare organizations and legitimized through professional bodies, unions, public policies, and regulations.

The effect of COVID-19 on emergency medical service call volumes and patient acuity: a cross-sectional study in Niagara, Ontario.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is a major public health problem. Subsequently, emergency medical services (EMS) have anecdotally experienced fluctuations in demand, with reports across Canada of both increased and decreased demand. Our primary objective was to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on call volumes for several determinants in Niagara Region EMS. Our secondary objective was to assess changes in paramedic-assigned patient acuity scores as determined using the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS). METHODS: We analyzed data from a regional EMS database related to call type, volume, and patient acuity for January to May 2016-2020. We used statistical methods to assess differences in EMS calls between 2016 and 2019 and 2020. RESULTS: A total of 114,507 EMS calls were made for the period of January 1 to May 26 between 2016 and 2020, inclusive. Overall, the incidence rate of EMS calls significantly decreased in 2020 compared to the total EMS calls in 2016-2019. Motor vehicle collisions decreased in 2020 relative to 2016-2019 (17%), while overdoses relatively increased (70%) in 2020 compared to 2016-2019. Calls for patients assigned a higher acuity score increased (CTAS 1) (4.1% vs. 2.9%). CONCLUSION: We confirmed that overall, EMS calls have decreased since the emergence of COVID-19. However, this effect on call volume was not consistent across all call determinants, as some call types rose while others decreased. These findings indicate that COVID-19 may have led to actual changes in emergency medical service demand and will be of interest to other services planning for future pandemics or further waves of COVID-19.

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.

Paramedics' Perspectives on Factors Impacting On-Scene Times for Trauma Calls.

IntroductionAccording to Ontario, Canada's Basic Life Support Patient Care Standards, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) on-scene time (OST) for trauma calls should not exceed 10 minutes, unless there are extenuating circumstances. The time to definitive care can have a significant impact on the morbidity and mortality of trauma patients. This is the first Canadian study to investigate why this is the case by giving a voice to those most involved in prehospital care: the paramedics themselves. It is also the first study to explore this issue from a complex, adaptive systems approach which recognizes that OSTs may be impacted by local, contextual features.ProblemResearch addressed the following problem: what are the facilitators and barriers to achieving 10-minute OSTs? METHODS: This project used a descriptive, qualitative design to examine facilitators and barriers to achieving 10-minute OSTs on trauma calls, from the perspective of paramedics. Paramedics from a regional Emergency Services organization were interviewed extensively over the course of one year, using qualitative interviewing techniques developed by experts in that field. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and entered into NVivo for Mac (QSR International; Victoria, Australia) software that supports qualitative research, for ease of data analysis. Researcher triangulation was used to ensure credibility of the data. RESULTS: Thirteen percent of the calls had OSTs that were less than 10 minutes. The following six categories were outlined by the paramedics as impacting the duration of OSTs: (1) scene characteristics; (2) the presence and effectiveness of allied services; (3) communication with dispatch; (4) the paramedics' ability to effectively manage the scene; (5) current policies; and (6) the quantity and design of equipment. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate the complexity of the prehospital environment and bring into question the feasibility of the 10-minute OST standard. LevitanM, LawMP, FerronR, Lutz-GraulK. Paramedics' perspectives on factors impacting on-scene times for trauma calls. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(3):250-255.

Implementing powered stretcher and load systems was a cost effective intervention to reduce the incidence rates of stretcher related injuries in a paramedic service.

Paramedic services are considering moving towards the use of powered stretcher and load systems to reduce stretcher related injuries, but cost is perceived as a barrier. This study compared injury incidence rates, days lost, and compensation costs between Niagara Emergency Medical Service (NEMS) and Hamilton Paramedic Service (HPS) pre- (four years) and post- (one year) implementation of powered stretcher and load systems in NEMS. Prior to the intervention stretcher related musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) incidence rates averaged 20.0 (±6.8) and 17.9 (±6.4) per 100 full time equivalent (FTE), in NEMS and HPS respectively. One-year post intervention rates decreased to 4.3 per 100 FTE in NEMS, a 78% reduction. Rates modestly increased to 24.6 per 100 FTE in HPS in same period. Cost-benefit analysis estimated that the added cost to purchase powered stretcher and load systems would be recovered within their expected 7-year service life due to the reduction in compensation costs.