Palliative care in paramedic practice: A retrospective cohort study:

Background:Paramedics may be involved in the care of patients experiencing a health crisis associated with palliative care. However, little is known about the paramedic’s role in the care of these patients.Aim:To describe the incidence and nature of cases attended by paramedics and the care provided where the reason for attendance was associated with a history of palliative care.Design:This is a retrospective cohort study.Setting/participants:Adult patients (aged >17 years) attended by paramedics in the Australian state of Victoria between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2016 where terms associated with palliative care or end of life were recorded in the patient care record. Secondary transfers including inter-hospital transport cases were excluded.Results:A total of 4348 cases met inclusion criteria. Median age was 74 years (interquartile range 64–83). The most common paramedic assessments were ‘respiratory’ (20.1%), ‘pain’ (15.8%) and ‘deceased’ (7.9%); 74.4% (n = 3237) were transported, with the most common de...