CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Evaluation of a community paramedicine health promotion and lifestyle risk assessment program for older adults who live in social housing: a cluster randomized trial.
Low-income older adults who live in subsidized housing have higher mortality and morbidity. We aimed to determine if a community paramedicine program - in which paramedics provide health care services outside of the traditional emergency response - reduced the number of ambulance calls to subsidized housing for older adults. ⋯ A paramedic-led, community-based health promotion program (CP@clinic) significantly lowered the number of ambulance calls, improved QALYs and ability to perform usual activities, and lowered systolic blood pressure among older adults living in subsidized housing. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, no. NCT02152891.