Clement, Fiona; Barnabe, CherylTaplin, John G2022-06-172022-06-172021-09-22Taplin, JG. (2021). A Retrospective Cohort Study of Health Service Utilization and Costs of People Experiencing Homelessness Following Community Paramedic Care (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.http://hdl.handle.net/1880/114746The City Centre Team (CCT) is a community paramedic program that delivers care to people experiencing homelessness in Calgary, Canada. This study compares the rates and characteristics of health service utilization and the associated costs of patients interacting with the service by linking multiple administrative databases (including hospitalizations, emergency department and urgent care centre visits, emergency medical services (EMS) events, physician claims, and pharmaceutical dispensations) in a pre-post retrospective cohort study. The primary outcome is the difference in ambulatory care sensitive condition-related hospitalizations in the year preceding the initial CCT visit and in the following year. Secondary outcomes are the differences between periods of all-cause hospitalizations, emergency department and urgent care centre visits, EMS events, physician claims, pharmaceutical dispensations, and costs. In the post-period, CCT patients had increased ambulatory care sensitive condition-related hospitalizations and associated costs compared to the pre-period. Except for all-cause hospitalizations, there was increased utilization and costs of health services between periods, with significant increases in community-based care in those that were previously underserved. The study characterizes and shows the impact on health service utilization in the initial 18-months of a community paramedic program directed at people experiencing homelessness. These findings inform decision-makers of a health service that can be developed in response to the complex health needs of an underserved population using community paramedics.enUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.Community ParamedicMobile Integrated HealthPrehospital CareHomelessnessHealth Sciences--Generalmaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/39834