Coronial Consideration of Patient Deaths in Paramedicine

During the course of a paramedic’s duties, it is inevitable that they will deal with patient death in some way. Australia’s coronial system is a safeguard to ensure deaths are investigated where their cause is not immediately known, or the circumstances surrounding the death is unusual. This article considers three recent coronial inquests involving paramedic care in Australia; identifies the significant observations that can be made from analysing the paramedics’ actions during patient treatment; and comments on how the coronial system can be used to improve patient outcomes.