Outcomes of Access Center Transfers for Thoracic Surgical Issues

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Healthcare Access
• Interhospital Transfers

Background:

• Access to specialized thoracic surgical care is often concentrated in major tertiary care centers.
• The role and value of interhospital transfers in supporting this specialized care remain under-characterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the characteristics and value of interhospital transfers for patients requiring thoracic surgical intervention.
• To quantify the types and volume of procedures performed via these transfers at a tertiary care center.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of access center calls for thoracic surgery transfers from April 2022 to August 2023.
• Data included call volume, transfer diagnoses, procedure types (major/minor), and patient origin (in-system vs. out-of-system).

Main Results:

• 71% of 367 calls resulted in transfers, with 65% of patients undergoing procedures.
• Major thoracic operations constituted 43% of procedures, contributing 15% to the center's overall thoracic surgery volume.
• Out-of-system hospitals generated higher transfer volumes and longer distances, but in-system transfers yielded more major thoracic procedures.

Conclusions:

• Interhospital transfers significantly contribute to thoracic surgical care delivery at tertiary centers.
• A notable proportion of transferred patients receive invasive procedures, underscoring the importance of these transfers for both community and system-level patient care.
• This study provides novel insights into the underappreciated role of thoracic surgeons in managing transferred patients.