EDMONTON — A new paramedic-led triage system is showing early signs of reducing pressure on Alberta’s ambulance system, with emergency calls increasingly being redirected to other forms of care when an ambulance is not medically necessary.
Emergency Health Services Alberta says Advanced Care Paramedics working in provincial emergency communications centres have reviewed nearly 6,000 calls since the program launched May 26.
The calls represented 8.9 per cent of all 911 demand during the period.
Following clinical assessments, 40 per cent of callers were safely directed to alternatives including self-care advice, primary care referrals, Mobile Integrated Healthcare, alternative response vehicles and taxi transportation.
The remaining 60 per cent received ambulance responses when paramedics determined emergency medical services were clinically appropriate.
“Our paramedics in dispatch provide self-care advice and reassurance to callers while confirming clinical acuity and priority, ensuring patients who do require EMS receive an appropriate response,” said Les Fisher, managing director and chief of Emergency Health Services Alberta.
“Safely identifying cases that can be closed without ambulance dispatch helps keep ambulances available for when they are truly needed.”
The system connects Advanced Care Paramedics with lower-acuity callers following the initial handling of a 911 call.
Paramedics conduct additional clinical assessments using the Emergency Communication Nurse System before determining whether an ambulance is required or another form of care would be more appropriate.
Emergency Health Services says patients with high-acuity emergencies, as well as those with unknown or suspected high-acuity conditions, will continue receiving ambulance responses.
The program is based on models used in jurisdictions including Saskatchewan, Niagara Region, Wales and New Zealand.
The province says the changes are intended to improve response times, reduce unnecessary transportation to emergency departments and keep ambulances available for higher-priority emergencies.
Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo has a distinct role in Alberta’s emergency dispatch system.
The province returned responsibility for emergency medical dispatch to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo after nearly four years of centralized service, contracting the municipality to operate and staff a local EMS communications centre.
The decision followed concerns from municipal officials about centralized dispatchers lacking sufficient knowledge of the region’s geography, including remote communities and industrial sites.
The local centre works with Alberta’s provincial emergency communications network while maintaining emergency medical dispatch operations in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo.
Emergency Health Services Alberta says expanding paramedic-led clinical triage is part of broader efforts to strengthen emergency services, improve patient flow and reduce pressure on ambulances and hospital emergency departments across the province.
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