CLINTON, Miss. — More than 100 EMS agencies in 33 states and the District of Columbia have launched mobile integrated healthcare or community paramedicine programs, a National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) national survey found.
Programs include EMS partnerships with hospitals, home health agencies, physicians groups, nursing homes and mental health facilities to address the health care needs of a community in innovative ways.
The survey was conducted by the NAEMT, which represents more than 50,000 of the nation’s EMTs, paramedics and other emergency responders.
Key findings from EMS agencies operating mobile integrated health care and community paramedicine (MIH-CP) programs
- 87 percent agreed that support for MIH-CP continues to grow among partners such as hospitals and other healthcare providers.
- 96 percent agreed that the number of patients served by MIH-CP will grow in the next five years.
- 69 percent of MIH-CP programs receive patient referrals from hospitals seeking to prevent unnecessary admissions or readmissions.
- 81 percent of programs in operation for two or more years reported success in lowering costs by reducing 911-call use and emergency department visits for defined groups of patients.