Objective: To evaluate the effect of a Mobile Integrated Hospice Healthcare (MIHH) program including hospice education and expansion of paramedic scope of practice to use hospice medication kits. Primary outcome was the effect on hospice patient transport to the Emergency Department. Secondary outcomes included reasons for patient transport and review of MIHH kit utilization. Methods: In 2015, the project was implemented in Ventura County, California in collaboration with county emergency medical services (EMS) agency, first response/transport organizations, and hospice programs. Paramedic supervisors received 30 hours of hospice training focusing on palliative care, grief and crisis counseling. When 9-1-1 was called for a patient, EMS first responders arrived on scene, determined a patient was enrolled in hospice and then contacted trained MIHH. Results: Six months (2/2015-7/2015) prior to project implementation the percentage of hospice patients transported to the ED averaged 80.3% (98/122). During the first (8/2015-7/2016), second (8/2016-7/2017) and third year (8/2017-7/2018) after project implementation, the percentage of hospice patients transported to the ED was 36.2% (68/188), 33.2% (63/190) and 24.8% (36/145) respectively. A total of 523 hospice patients were cared for by MIHH during this three-year interval. Of those hospice patients transported, the most common reason for transport was fall/trauma. The MIHH hospice kit was only used once in the field. Odds ratio for hospice transportation to the ED before and after project implementation was 0.125 (95% Confidence Interval: 0.077 to 0.201; p < 0.0001). This represents an absolute reduction risk of 46.6% (95% Confidence Interval: 38.53% to 54.72%). Conclusion: MIHH decreased the transportation of hospice patients to the ED. MIHH provided hospice education, provided family grief support and developed treatment plans with hospice nurses. An expanded scope of practice, including a paramedic hospice kit, was not contributory to this decrease.
Keywords: community paramedicine; hospice; mobile integrated healthcare; palliative care.