Environmental Scan - Government of Nova Scotia

Physician Resource PlanningAn Environmental Scan• Has progressed to be the leading edge for integrated care in Canada, using the optimal skills ofphysicians, nurses, and paramedics, with a progressively elevated scope of practice for the paramedics• Underpinned by EHS physicians who are experienced and comprehend collaborative care and a singleambulance system within the Department of Health and Wellness• Initial acute care focus has been expanding into chronic care, essentially bringing the ED to the nursinghome; it will continue to expand over the next 5-10 years with advanced, seamless pre-hospital careCOLLABORATIVE EMERGENCY CENTRES (CECS)• Based on paramedic and nurse resources with online contact with an ED physician• Expansion planning over the next 5-10 years will centre on community paramedics who provideprimary care through house calls and targeted care of the elderly• Collaborative model will become more robust over the next 5-10 years and incorporate a network oftrained physiciansPOPULATION NEED• Emergency Care−Quantity and quality will both increase with an emphasis on access to enhanced pre-hospital care• Health System Design−−EHS model, as it is maturing and growing, can be envisioned as a provincial resource rather than aregional resource; this is an area that could benefit from articulated supportWhile not yet contemplated, remote areas of the province that are not well-resourced in someareas of specialty care may, in part, have needs addressed by an increased scope of practice byparamedics involved in pre-hospital care and patient transfer• Infrastructure−Major infrastructure change with the greatest benefit to population health will be growth of CECs• Social-economic−Growth in the elderly population, especially in rural communities, can be mitigated to some degreethrough enhanced care of the elderly in a home environment• Supplementary Documents−PHYSICIAN SUPPLYData that have been collected through the program are being made available, but have not yetbeen acquired.• Program is complementary to primary care, not a threat to it• Impact on physician resources is likely less an issue of numbers and more of a functional evolutiondesigned to keep patients out of hospitals and to improve morbidity and mortality rates147 | Page Social Sector Metrics Inc. & Health Intelligence Inc. | 12/31/2011