From scouring a crowded screen just to find important information, to racing to a caller's home only to discover they’ve already been taken to hospital, several Montreal-area paramedics say the new computer-aided dispatch system (CAD) in their ambulances is plagued with problems — and they fear it’s putting patients at risk.

Urgences-santé , which offers ambulance services in Montreal and Laval, launched the new computer system in May. The program connects dispatchers to paramedics out on the road in real time, providing them with patient information, addresses, directions and more.

Some front-line workers say the transition has been difficult, and they worry it could affect how fast they’re able to get to patients in an emergency.

CBC News spoke with five paramedics who say they’ve

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