Persistent challenges in delivering healthcare in rural and remote areas have resulted in
healthcare inequities including increased rates of chronic conditions. Increased exacerbation,
diminished healthspan, and poor quality of life are all markers of this inequity. To improve this,
British Columbia Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) introduced their Community Paramedic
program to bridge gaps in chronic condition management among rural and remote populations.
This research was designed to understand the community paramedic’s perspective of chronic
condition management, program outcomes, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
community paramedic practice. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 practicing
BCEHS community paramedics. Interpretive description methodology was used to guide
thematic analysis with four primary themes emerging: community paramedics provide a unique
approach to care delivery and offer a valuable perspective of the patient who they engage with,
community paramedics introduce novel attributes of care including face-to-face engagements in
patient homes, community paramedicine bridges health service delivery gaps and demonstrates
improvements in chronic condition management, the COVID-19 pandemic affirmed the
adaptability of community paramedics and the need to continue foundational care approaches.
This study provided rich perspectives and insight into community paramedic practice across rural
and remote British Columbia and the potential it holds to continue to bridge health service
delivery gaps among a long-underserved population.
