Commentary: The Canadian Healthcare Crisis and the Emerging Role of Paramedicine

Canada's healthcare system is struggling to provide primary care and acute care for ever-increasing numbers of patients, who are turning to emergency medical services (EMS) agencies to obtain timely care when in need. Paramedics are experiencing the downstream effects of these challenges, leading to a diversion of ambulances away from the communities they serve, increased call volumes and staff burnout. Well-intended policies, such as a borderless EMS system, should not be used as a stopgap measure to service non-emergency calls, and there should be a defined and enforceable process for returning ambulances to their home communities. Community paramedic and alternative treatment destinations represent an evolving area of paramedic practice that could offer solutions to some of the challenges faced by the healthcare system and relieve some of the occupational issues faced by paramedics. However, to fully realize the benefits offered by some of these changes in paramedic practice, they must adopt evidence-based best practices and be accompanied by relevant changes in paramedic education and supportive government policy.