ILCOR Endorses Interprofessional (Physician-Paramedic) Critical Care Teams for Cardiac Arrest—Is BC Ready?

In its latest guidelines, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) now recommends that prehospital critical care teams attend out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA). This is a landmark shift in global best practice—grounded in 18 high-quality studies, 17 of which involved interprofessional physician-paramedic teams. The evidence shows improved survival and better neurological outcomes when critically ill patients receive early, enhanced care by such teams.

British Columbia is not positioned to meet this standard. The BCEHS air ambulance system relies on an uni-professional model, with paramedics as the sole responders. Paramedic staffing challenges are already severe, and extending this model to support broad OHCA critical care response is not feasible.

Interprofessional teams that pair physicians and nurses or paramedics offer the only realistic path forward. They align with global evidence, and—critically—with the needs of rural and Indigenous communities in BC who currently face some of the longest transport times and worst outcomes in Canada.

Med Response BC (MRBC) was designed with this model at its core. Our approach is not only evidence-based, but patient- and provider-informed. It’s time for BC to catch up to global standards—and lead in delivering equitable, high-quality emergency care.