Fire Protection Research Foundation report: "Fire Based Mobile Integrated Healthcare and Community Paramedicine (MIH & CP) – Data and Resources" (PDF, 1 MB)
Author: Sreenivasan Ranganathan, Fire Protection Research Foundation
Date of issue: May 2016
Introduction
The concept of Mobile Integrated Healthcare and Community Paramedicine (MIH & CP) has existed for quite some time internationally, but has been less prevalent in the United States. The primary purpose of MIH & CP programs is to provide healthcare services directly to patients on location therefore minimizing trips to the hospital. Fire Departments have typically always responded to medical emergencies, regardless of whether or not a fire has occurred. Many Emergency Medical Services (EMS) rely on Fire Departments to easily reach out to their communities. The main objectives of this project include identifying where mobile integrated healthcare and community paramedicine (MIH & CP) is used in the USA, determine what information is available from those communities, and produce a report to help the NFPA Technical Committee (TC) on Emergency Medical Services (EMS-AAA) develop a document relating to firebased MIH & CP systems.
The project tasks included:
- Conducting a literature review and preparing a report on the information regarding the best practices in MIH & CP programs (with a focus on fire-based MIH & CP programs in the United States).
- Understanding how existing EMS resources are being used to provide services, through available fire-based case studies.
- Conducting a brief literature review on functioning MIH & CP programs from around the world.
- Identifying resources and reference materials available regarding these functioning programs.