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Organized interfacility transfer processes: an opportunity to improve pediatric emergency care

Diana G Fendya1, Andrea Genovesi, Karen Belli

  • 1Emergency Medical Services for Children National Resource Center, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA. dfendya@childrensnational.org

Pediatric Emergency Care
|October 1, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Many hospitals lack organized processes for transferring critically ill children. Improving these interfacility transfer guidelines and agreements is crucial for enhancing pediatric emergency care.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Healthcare Systems Research
  • Public Health Policy

Background:

  • Effective interfacility transfer is vital for critically ill and injured children.
  • Existing transfer protocols and agreements vary significantly across healthcare facilities.
  • Standardized guidelines are needed to ensure optimal pediatric care during transfers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the prevalence of established interfacility transfer guidelines and agreements for seriously ill and injured children.
  • To identify gaps in current hospital protocols for pediatric interfacility transfers.
  • To evaluate the impact of state mandates on transfer guidelines and agreements.

Main Methods:

  • A national survey of hospitals with emergency departments was conducted using paper and web-based tools.
  • A content analysis of state mandates and regulations concerning interfacility transfer was performed.
  • Data were collected from 36 states/territories, with 2,051 hospitals responding.

Main Results:

  • Only 54% of hospitals had interfacility transfer guidelines, and just 42% specifically addressed pediatric transfers.
  • 13% of hospitals had guidelines meeting all recommended components; 46% lacked defined transfer processes.
  • Agreements for specialty transfers were present in 59% of hospitals, but only 43% included pediatric-specific language; 41% lacked agreements.

Conclusions:

  • A significant proportion of hospitals lack organized processes for the interfacility transfer of critically ill children.
  • Addressing these deficiencies in transfer guidelines and agreements presents an opportunity to improve pediatric emergency care.
  • Further research is needed to understand the influence of state mandates on transfer protocols.
Abstract

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