EMS Paramedics and Law Enforcement Officers' Experiences with Joint-Response Efforts on Suspected Opioid Overdose Calls: A Qualitative Study.

Abstract

In the United States, the opioid crisis remains a nationwide public health emergency. Narcan laws have increased medical collaboration between emergency medical services (EMS) paramedics and law enforcement officers (LEOs), yet research on joint opioid-response efforts with these first responders remains underexplored. Using a phenomenological approach, this study explores EMS paramedics and LEOs' experiences with joint-response efforts on suspected opioid overdose calls amidst the ongoing opioid crisis. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 first responders (n = 8 EMS paramedics; n = 6 LEOs) from a large Central Florida emergency services district covering urban, suburban, and rural areas. Four major themes emerged: (1) facilitators to joint-response efforts; (2) barriers to joint-response efforts; (3) concerns for patient co-occurring behavioral health conditions; and (4) perceived solutions. Overall, participants described mutual respect, reliance, and communication as key facilitators, while barriers included conflicting on-scene priorities and differences in Narcan protocols. Concerns for co-occurring behavioral health (i.e., addiction and mental health) conditions among overdose patients included difficulties in assessing mental health and the availability of wraparound services, yet these concerns remained secondary to medical treatment during an opioid-related emergency. Key solutions included enhanced Narcan training for LEOs and increased availability of behavioral health services for long-term patient care. This research contributes to existing literature on opioid overdose response by specifically examining joint-response efforts between EMS paramedics and LEOs. These findings may be applicable to other partnering agencies such as mental health crisis teams and should be explored across behavioral health collaborations.