Reflections on Paramedicine Research

Research drives quality, especially in health care.

For this year's #ParamedicServicesWeek, I'm reflecting on the evolving role research plays in improving the accessibility, safety, social responsiveness, and effectiveness of paramedic care; or, in short, the quality of the services we provide to our communities.

Our profession has a rich history of incorporating research evidence into the treatment we provide to patients, especially in Ontario. Thanks to the tireless efforts of physician-scientists like Sheldon Cheskes and investigators at research institutes across the province, the ways in which we care for patients with life-threatening illness and injury have advanced enormously over the decades, creating a world class system. In 2023, Peel Regional Paramedic Services recorded 230 lives saved from cardiac arrest - one life saved every 38 hours.

And yet, life-threatening illness or injury makes up only a small fraction of the calls our paramedics respond to. In 2023, of 136,000 9-1-1 calls in the Region of Peel, just 1.6% were for patients experiencing cardiac arrest. Gaps in our social safety net mean #paramedics are being asked to take on larger, more complex, and more diverse roles in primary health and social care for our communities. In practical terms, this means mental health, substance use, homelessness, chronic conditions, low acuity illness, and end-of-life care are making up larger chunks of our day-to-day caseload as our communities come to expect a different level of service from us.

As we mobilize new programs to respond to this evolving need, it reminds us that meeting the challenges of today and anticipating the demands of tomorrow requires evidence-informed decision making and policy. And this, my friends, is where research can make the day.

Stay tuned for a series of short posts on the evolution of paramedic-led research within #paramedicine in Ontario as we talk about what paramedicine research is, how research evidence is used in policy, who are the emerging thought leaders in paramedicine research are, and why research capacity growth can be a game changer for the continued professionalization of paramedic service delivery. Along the way, I'll showcase some innovative work being led by paramedic-scientists working behind the scenes in Ontario.

More to come.