Host:  David Long
Guests: Belinda Delardes and Brendan Shannon

About this episode:
In this episode of The Debrief, host David unpacks community paramedicine and paramedic-initiated GP referrals with Monash University PhD candidates Belinda Delardes and Brendan Shannon. Both Belinda and Brendan are registered paramedics working for a jurisdictional Australian Ambulance Service and bring a contemporary view of managing patients who are suitable for an alternate (non-ED) pathway. The wide-ranging discussion touches on the philosophy underpinning service delivery to lower acuity patients, the difference between “non-transport” and “transition of care”, as well as challenging the established paradigms of paramedic education.

About David:
David Long is a Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead of the Paramedicine program at the University of Southern Queensland. David began his career in paramedicine with a state Ambulance service in 1998 and was part of an inaugural Extended Care Paramedic program. He completed a doctorate in 2017 that examined the work role transition of qualified paramedics to a specialist role in community paramedicine. David continues to have a wide range of research interests in paramedicine and education.

About Belinda:
Belinda is an ALS paramedic and clinical instructor with Ambulance Victoria (AV). Following her graduate year with AV, she undertook an Honours degree part-time with Monash University focusing on a potential e-handover between paramedics and GPs. After achieving the Monash Department of Paramedicine 2019 Academic Excellence in Research Award for this, Belinda continued on with a PhD to improve the referral process from paramedics to GPs in Victoria, Australia. Belinda is a passionate advocate for improving efficiency and patient safety for non-transported patients.   

About Brendan:
Brendan is a lecturer within the Department of Paramedicine at Monash University and a registered paramedic with Ambulance Victoria (AV) for the past 9 years. He has experience in curriculum development, continuing professional development, clinical instruction, and supervision of honours students’ projects, on top of his clinical and academic workload. 

Brendan returned as a student part-time with the Paramedicine department in 2015 after focusing solely on his clinical role as a paramedic by enrolling in the honours program. After successfully completing the course with H1 honours he enrolled as a PhD candidate. His thesis is investigating the impact of a community care program that aims to divert unnecessary ambulance and ED presentations in a large metropolitan region of Melbourne. Brendan has a keen interest in health services research, alternative care pathways, non-transport, referral services, and community paramedicine.