Expanding Paramedicine in the Community (EPIC)
Diabetes Mellitus (DM), Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
About this trial
This is an interventional health services research trial for Diabetes Mellitus (DM)
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
Residents of the region of York, Ontario, 18 years of age or older, diagnosed at any point in time with COPD, CHF, or DM and identified by the Family Health Care Team as high risk for admission.
Exclusion Criteria:
Residents of long-term care facilities or if have cognitive impairment, uncontrolled psychiatric disease or language barriers that would make it difficult to understand the consent and communicate with the paramedic during the scheduled visits, unless the individual with power of attorney for personal care consented and agreed to be at each visit.
Sites / Locations
- Health for All and Markham Family Health Team
- Aurora-Newmarket Family Health Team
- Owen Sound Family Health Team
- Stouffville Medical Centre
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Active Comparator
Experimental
Usual Care
Community Paramedicine
Patients randomized to the control group will continue to receive usual care from their Family Health Care Team. Usual care includes physician assessment and treatment and periodic augmentation of care in the community (CCAC or case manager, nurse practitioner) at the discretion of the treating physician.
The intervention will consist of an initial visit and 3 follow-up visits at 3 month intervals over one year by a paramedic who has received additional training in chronic disease management, in addition to routine usual care and any additional visits prompted by the patient, the paramedic or the Family Health Care Team.