What is the Southwest Centre for Prehospital Medicine (SWCPM)?

• An umbrella organization that provides expertise in prehospital medicine
• SWCPM is responsible for providing medical delegation to partner fire and police services
• The Southwest Ontario Regional Base Hospital Program (SWORBHP) is the core work of the SWCPM and one of eight Base Hospitals in Ontario, offering medical delegation and oversight to paramedics
• Dr. Matt Davis is the Medical Director of the SWCPM and SWORBHP, overseeing medical delegation and oversight to members of your service

What is a controlled act?

• Controlled medical acts are specified in the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) as acts which may only be performed by authorized regulated health professionals. Examples of controlled acts include but are not limited to:
  • Administering a substance by injection or inhalation (ex. naloxone)
  • Applying or ordering the application of a form of energy prescribed by regulations under the RHPA (ex. Defibrillation).

What is medical delegation?

• Delegation is a mechanism that allows a regulated health professional (ex. a physician) who is authorized to perform a controlled act to temporarily grant that authority to another person (whether regulated or unregulated) who is not legally authorized to perform the act independently (ex. paramedics, firefighters)
• Medical Directives created by the SWCPM serve to provide medical delegation to firefighters and police officers

What is the purpose of medical delegation?

• Access to the most up to date evidence-based prehospital medicine for emergency medical calls that firefighters may attend and provide care at
• Seamless transition of care between firefighters and paramedics, as medical directors are familiar with the paramedic medical directives to ensure care provided by firefighters is in keeping with the care that paramedics will provide once they assume care
• Medical expertise
• Legally allows firefighters and police officers to perform medically controlled acts

What are Medical Directives?

• Written orders from physicians to other health care providers that pertain to any patient that meets the criteria outlined in the Medical Directive
• Provides authority to carry out treatments, procedures and interventions if the conditions, indications and contraindications have
  been met for the Medical Directive
• The SWCPM has three different categories of Medical Directives that may be utilized at your fire or police service
  • Defibrillation
  • Naloxone administration for suspected opioid toxicity
  • Epinephrine administration for suspected anaphylaxis

What are the benefits of medical delegation with the SWCPM?

• Expert medical opinion from our team
• Quality assurance through call feedback and auditing
• Standardization of care between fire and police services with paramedic services
• Ongoing continuing education