RESPONDING TO THE CALL
- Utilize accepted international standards as a foundation to determine a set of core minimum competencies.
- Develop a process and the tools to accurately evaluate knowledge and skills required for credentialing.
- Establish an organization to ratify and endorse internationally recognized credentials.
- Create requirements for continuing education to ensure knowledge and skills are maintained.
WHAT IS PARAMEDICINE?
In 2017, the International Paramedic Registry launched an international effort to better describe the prehospital profession. Based on nomenclature discussions in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Latin America, the Asian Association for EMS (AAEMS) defines paramedicine and the scope of practice as follows:
- Paramedicine is a specialized profession and an essential component of a healthcare system. The paramedic is a professional whose primary focus is to provide immediate, episodic, and unscheduled health care to individuals, families, and communities. Their care is patient-centered and focused on attaining and maintaining optimal health and quality of life.
- A paramedic’s practice is specialized in, but not limited to, emergency care and transportation. The paramedic works in a variety of environments, under high-risk conditions, and special events such as disasters and mass casualty incidents. Their care is delivered predominately outside hospitals but may also include clinic and in-hospital settings.
- An independent, impartial, valid, and reliable certification exam.
- An international registry of providers who achieve and maintain competency in current evidence-based prehospital care standards.
- Leading a collaborative effort with industry stakeholders to define paramedicine standards internationally.
- Authorize or credential professional practice.
- Evaluate employment quality or performance.
- Establish the scope of professional practice.
- Sanction or investigate poor professional practice.
- License providers.
IPR CERTIFICATION BENEFICIARIES
Providers
- Demonstrate personal competence in prehospital care by meeting the initial and continual IPR certification standards.
- Adopt and support international standards up todate, safe, and effective based on evidence.
- Belong to a professional registry that improves.
Training centers
- Demonstrate they deliver quality education by meeting international standards.
- Using an independent, impartial, and reliable certification exam for external validation of their program.
- Join a community of educators and prehospital professionals in setting, reviewing and measuring standards.
- Protect the profession and public from sub standard programs by ensuring minimal competency before graduates begin working.
- Benchmark performance against other education programs worldwide.
Employers
- Improve the screening of applicants and streamlining onboarding for new employees by incorporating IPR certification before employement.
- Demonstrate they are competent and meets international practice standards.
- Improve recognition and confidence from their communities and opportunities to win contracts in the private sector.
Community and Government Institutions
- Protect the public by ensuring that initial and continued competency is tested impartially for all providers.
- Save costs of creating, validating, and
deploying a local exam. - Receive feedback on the performance of educational programs, system quality improvement possibilities, and workforce readiness.