Achieving Regionalization through Rural Inter-hospital Transfer

Regionalization of emergency medical care aims to provide consistent and efficient high quality care leading to optimal clinical outcomes by matching patient needs with appropriate resources at a network of hospitals. Regionalized care has been shown to improve outcomes in trauma, myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiac arrest, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. In rural areas, effective regionalization often requires inter-hospital transfer. The decision to transfer is complex and includes such factors as capabilities of the presenting hospital, capacity at the receiving hospital, financial, geographic, and patient-preference considerations.
Source: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research