In her report, the CBC journalist stated that the unregulated nature of the patient transfer industry results in some service providers not maintaining an appropriate standard of care within their operations.
Ontario Patient Transfer would like to reassure our clients that we continue to hold ourselves to the same excellent service standard our reputation has been built upon. The work we have done with our clients over the years has resulted in hundreds of glowing testimonials — and more importantly, we have earned your trust and your continued patronage.
While OPT has worked to initiate the creation of a self-regulatory body in our industry, we have not at this time received the support necessary to establish such an organization.
In the meantime, we operate under the dedicated supervision and direction of an internal Board of Advisors who oversee our operations, advise us on how to improve and modify our policies and procedures, and help us ensure that our service standards are understood and adhered to by all OPT management and personnel.
We are also members in good standing with the Transportation Health & Safety Association of Ontario (THSAO). The THSAO is one of 14 sector-specific workplace associations dedicated to the advancement and promotion of safe workplace practices in businesses across Ontario. These associations are mandated by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Act, and engage in workplace education, training, consulting and safety assessment. As indicated by its name, the THSAO is dedicated primarily to working with companies and personnel in the transportation industry.
All OPT employees who work directly with patients require one of the following certifications:
- A-EMCA (PCP) – Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistant (Primary Care Paramedic)
- EMT – Emergency Medical Technician
- EFR – Emergency First Responder
- EMR – Emergency Medical Responder
- MFR – Medical First Responder
Hiring requirements at OPT also include a police criminal record check, a driver’s abstract record check, proof of immunization, CPR-C and Standard First Aid certificates, and various proofs of identity and citizenship. Our employee training programs are equally rigorous.
In addition to operating clean, fully-equipped mobile transfer vehicles, OPT also does everything possible to ensure that at least one certified paramedic goes out on every route, meaning there is always a medical standard of care available to patients while in transit.
Because non-emergency patient transfer is currently an unregulated industry, not all patient transfer services are created equally, and many will not offer the same standard of professional care provided by OPT. If patient transfer decisions are made based on financial considerations alone, the best service providers in the industry will be overlooked in favour of less costly alternatives of inferior quality.
Hospitals and other decision-makers must take it upon themselves to research the cost vs. quality benefits of contracting a transfer service for patients. OPT recommends that stringent audits be conducted into the specific service standards of patient transfer providers: their policies, their resources, the services they provide and the qualifications of their employees. Hospitals will ultimately be held liable for selecting transfer services based solely on price, with no consideration of qualifications. But everyone, including the patients who depend on these services, will suffer the consequences.
If the patient transfer service industry is to be reliable, it needs to be regulated. And until it is, hospitals and the public need to familiarize themselves with the standards, practices and qualifications of the people who will provide this important medical support service, in order to ensure they will receive the standard of care they expect and deserve.
Please contact us with any questions you might have. We are always happy to provide detailed information to help you better understand OPT’s service standards and policies.