Benefits of Community Paramedicine in Reducing Health Disparities in Underserved Populations

Presenter Information

• Ahmi Z. Santiago-Turner, University of South FloridaFollow
• Rhod'Ann Belizaire, University of South FloridaFollow
• Mirjam Almasi, University of South FloridaFollow
• Dorothy Estrada, University of South FloridaFollow
• Inioluwa Fatimilehin, University of South FloridaFollow
• Lucrecia Sanchez-Perez, University of South FloridaFollow
• Tinashe Sandy, University of South FloridaFollow
• Tracy Chen, University of South FloridaFollow
• Savannah Woods, University of South FloridaFollow

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Mentor Information

Dr. Olukemi Akintewe

Description

The implementation of EMS in the U.S. has improved access to healthcare, but led to an increasing reliance on emergency services. To combat this, Community Paramedicine has been implemented to expand the capabilities of paramedics and to improve care for underserved populations.

A systematic review examined the potential benefits of Community Paramedicine Programs on underserved communities with the hypothesis that it would lead to a reduction in EMS utilization. Using Rayyan’s software, 698 articles were screened. 5 articles were selected using search strings, and 5 were found through related article links.

Despite heterogeneous study designs, Community Paramedicine showed mixed but generally favorable outcomes for reductions in emergency department visits, hospital readmissions, and EMS calls among underserved populations.

Community Paramedicine shows promise in improving care and reducing EMS utilization among underserved populations. However, heterogeneous study designs and inconsistent outcome measures limit definitive conclusions, highlighting the need for further standardized research.