Paramedics in Colorado are making house calls. This is a pilot program that is being funded for a limited time. The purpose of having the paramedics “do house calls” is to prevent people from having to call 911 for non-emergencies, and to provide health care for people who don’t have health insurance.
Usually, if a paramedic has been dispatched to go to someone’s home, it is because the person is having a serious medical emergency, right at that very moment. Paramedics in Colorado, as well as a few other states, are participating in a unique pilot program. Some of the paramedics in those states are “making house calls”, just like doctors used to do in the past.
For this program, the paramedics are working under the supervision of doctors. It is the doctors who refer the paramedics to go to the homes of a particular patient. These patients are likely experiencing some type of medical issue. However, they are not having the type of medical emergency that would require a paramedic to rush to their home.
The paramedics that make house calls are able to do many of the types of quick medical tests that a person would usually have to visit a doctor to receive. They can take electrocardiograms, check patient prescriptions, check blood pressure, change dressings, draw blood, and make other observations about the health of a patient. The paramedics then relay that information to the doctors, who determine what the next step should be.
This program is being provided for free for patients who do not have health insurance, or who are underinsured. Currently the program is being funded by $700,000 in grants that came from the Colorado health department, a couple of private health organizations, and the ambulance district. The program is going to last a total of five years through these grants.
There are many reasons why some states are allowing paramedics to provide primary care. It is hoped that this will help address the shortages in primary care physicians in certain areas. It is also hoped that this will cut down on the number of trips that people make to emergency rooms. Just one visit to an ER can be financially devastating for a person who does not have health insurance coverage.
Sometimes, it is not easy to determine if a family member is sick enough to require immediate medical attention. These paramedics can come to the home of an ill person, and, with the help of the doctor who receives the observations of the paramedics, advise about whether or not the person needs to go to a hospital. This is allowing people to get the health care they require, without having to be fearful about what it will cost to receive it.
Image by Taber Andrew Bain or Flickr