Conserving Quality of Life through Community Paramedics

The Economic Value of Community Paramedicine Programs Study was a randomized controlled trial in two Eastern Ontario communities ߝ one urban and one rural ߝ to determine whether community paramedicine services (the intervention through home visits) would have a positive economic impact through influencing self-perceived quality of life and determining a monetized value. A total of 200 clients who were high-users of healthcare services and had one or more of five chronic diseases (congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, stroke and diabetes) were recruited in early 2015. These participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (receiving community paramedicine services for 12 months) or the control group (receiving conventional treatment). Study results suggest that although quality of life scores decreased for all groups, those receiving community paramedicine services demonstrated significantly less reduction in their scores. Suggestions to further increase cost efficiency of this novel service are given.