When ambulances crash

Transporting patients to hospitals in a safe manner is a core aspect of paramedic practice within Canada. The majority of these transports are within a ground ambulance on city streets and provincial roadways. There is however an inherent danger associated with the operation of emergency vehicles. In Canada national figures for emergency vehicles collisions are elusive; however both Alberta and British Columbia report annual numbers of approximately 300 (1), and 400 collisions respectively.(2) The USA reports an annual average of motor vehicle collisions involving ambulances via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of approximately 4,500 collisions per year

Patient safety and quality improvement education for paramedics: The role of the IHI Open School Chapter

In 2017, an IHI Open School Chapter was founded at Fanshawe College. This was undertaken as an additional measure to promote patient safety and quality improvement awareness among students and faculty. This chapter launch coincided with the embedding of several IHI Open School online courses into a subject within the paramedic program. This curriculum integration initiative has been previously described in this publication.(1)