Aegis Healthcare Solutions Calls for Excellence in Non-Urgent Patient Transportation

Principles that protect Ontario patients need to extend to non urgent patient transportation services.

Traditional municipal ambulance services in Ontario are no longer able to meet the demand of non emergent calls for transportation from the Ontario public, or from Ontario hospitals and health care facilities. This has been a long developing dilemma as Ontario’s public grows and 911 call volumes increase.

The Development of Non-Emergent Patient Transportation Services in Ontario

The logical result has been the development of non-emergent patient transportation services across the province and the country. The dilemma that exists is that these services are largely unregulated, untrained and unmonitored. This exposes the Ontario public to an unnecessary risk and jeopardizes their trust in an already overburdened health care system.

About Aegis Healthcare Solutions

Aegis Healthcare Solutions is owned and operated by paramedics and its staff consists of paramedic students, active and retired paramedics, emergency medical responders/students and active or former firefighters; all of which have a background and familiarity with the principles of healthcare and patient transportation.

“People charged with the movement of stretcher bound patients must have an understanding of the physics behind the use of stretchers, and the basic understanding of the health care system and their place in it. Few people have as much expertise in this area as paramedics, particularly experienced paramedics.”

The Problem

Currently, non emergent patient transportation, patients are often elderly and vulnerable, and in the care of unqualified personnel. There is little or no requirement for these services to ensure staff are qualified in basic first aid and CPR, or the ability to recognize changes in patient presentation and to make appropriate decisions.

The Solution

One solution, aside from having paramedics operate these private services themselves, is to develop relations with local municipal ambulance services to assist with operational oversight and guidance. This continues to serve to alleviate municipal ambulance services from the responsibility of non emergent patient transportation, while allowing the development of basic qualification framework and structure.

This strategy would also serve a common interest amongst stakeholders, without the development of rigid and prohibitive regulatory framework that could impede or impair our delicate Ontario health care system.

Conclusion

Aegis Healthcare Solutions is actively engaging the industry to develop better systems, checks and balances to protect the public interest. Aegis is advancing the argument that paramedics and former paramedics themselves may play a more importation role in the operation of private non emergent patient transportation services, and that traditional municipal ambulance services may play a greater role in providing guidance, mentorship, and potentially oversight to private patient transportation services.

Engage in the conversation. Send comments or concerns to [email protected].