Introducing Mobile Integrated Health Care

Abstract

Since 2020, Associate Executive Director Dudley Smith has been working with a committee to develop standards for mobile integrated health care (MIH), known in some areas as community paramedicine. MIH is a relatively new and expanding field of health care focused on providing primary and preventive care to underserved populations. The goals include increasing access to care; improving health and well-being; and reducing hospital admissions, readmissions, emergency room visits, and costs. Care providers can come from any area of health care, but most MIH services use paramedics in expanded roles caring for clients in nonemergency situations in their homes or other locations. MIH varies and can be as simple as checking on patients with chronic illnesses to at-home testing and interventions that may include telemedicine. This out-of-hospital care has become even more prevalent due to the pandemic and the need to limit crowded emergency departments and lower the risk of spreading coronavirus disease 2019. The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) is proud to announce the release of the first national accreditation standards for MIH programs. Some MIH programs operate independently, and others may be part of a transport service or health care organization. The standards reflect months of work with input from some of the national leaders in existing MIH programs. Although CAMTS is primarily an accreditation for medical transport, this is another aspect of out-of-hospital care that involves the same disciplines. Also, the infrastructure of CAMTS is there to create and approve standards with over 30 years of experience. As an Accredited Standards Setting Organization through the American National Standards Institute, CAMTS follows the American National Standards Institute essential elements for establishing new and expanding standards. This includes solicitation and consideration of comments and suggestions for standards development. The draft MIH program accreditation standards are posted on the CAMTS website (camts.org) and are open for public comments. CAMTS established a Community Paramedic Program Accreditation Standards consensus committee that reviews changes before final approval by the CAMTS Board of Directors. An online comment/suggestion form allows for comments and suggestions and assures all recommendations are logged and addressed. Feedback from the committee is provided to the submitter and others through the CAMTS website for each recommended change. Drafts of the new proposed standards were shared at CAMTS exhibit booths at the Atrium MIH/Community Paramedic Conference in North Carolina in September and the MIH Summit and EMS World Expo in Atlanta in early October 2021. The comments received so far have been incredibly supportive. The committee will have the first edition finalized and published in early 2022. If you are currently providing, or contemplating, MIH services, we encourage you to review the standards and to compare your program to the standards. Programs that believe they are in substantial compliance with the standards can then apply for accreditation. The details for the application and review process, costs, and required documentation for the reviews are still to be determined. The selection and training of MIH experienced site surveyors will follow shortly thereafter. If you are interested in applying for a position as an MIH site surveyor, please contact the CAMTS office. Eileen Frazer, RN, CMTE, is the CAMTS executive director. She can be reached at [email protected] and (864) 287-4177.