Paramedic Service Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 Research Area(s): Healthcare Delivery & Policy

The COVID-19 outbreak started in BC in March 2020. The pandemic impacted operational paramedic services in BC with significant anecdotal changes in paramedic service utilization, including a decrease in the overall number of calls, fewer patients being transported to hospital, and a change in the acuity of patients treated by paramedics. The aim of this study is to examine changes in paramedic service utilization in BC, compared to the rest of Canada, related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This results of this research are important in that it will examine the use of paramedic services during a pandemic that can be used to help plan for future events.