Pilot projects: paramedics will be able to perform more medical procedures

Pilot projects will allow paramedics in certain regions to perform more medical procedures at home, in order to avoid overcrowding hospital emergency rooms.

Pilot projects: paramedics will be able to perform more medical procedures

Pilot projects will allow paramedics in certain regions to perform more medical procedures at home, in order to avoid overcrowding hospital emergency rooms.

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Thus, participating paramedics will be able to follow up on adherence to treatment and medication intake, assess the patient's needs and psychological state, detect chronic illnesses, take samples and ensure the management of his health by the individual.

The pilot projects will be deployed in Gaspésie, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Chaudière-Appalaches and in the three CISSSs of Montérégie.

“There are legal limits, at the moment, to doing paramedicine. We are in discussion, among others, with the College of Physicians, but we can do, precisely, pilot projects to be able to see how we can improve paramedicine, ”acknowledged the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, of outset, during a press conference held in Bécancour.

More autonomy

In addition, throughout the territory, paramedic ambulance technicians will now be able to determine the professional to whom the patient should be referred (pharmacist, specialized nurse or doctor) rather than systematically driving them to the emergency room. The decision, specifies the Ministry of Health, will be taken “in close collaboration with other professionals”.

This approach is in line with the new philosophy put forward by Minister Dubé, who is currently deploying the first-line access window (GAP), to which number orphan patients should call to be referred to the right professional. of health.

The GAP is already being deployed in about forty places in Quebec, out of a future total of 90. “We would like the whole question of pre-hospital to be integrated with that,” says Christian Dubé.

The minister also repeated on Tuesday that he intended to “do everything” so that paramedics obtain their professional order.

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