Inter-hospital Transfer Decision-making During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Qualitative Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Inter-hospital patient transfers to hospitals with greater resource availability and expertise may improve clinical outcomes. However, there is little guidance regarding how patient transfer requests should be prioritized when hospital resources become scarce.

Objective

To understand the experiences of healthcare workers involved in the process of accepting inter-hospital patient transfers during a pandemic surge and determine factors impacting inter-hospital patient transfer decision-making.

Design

We conducted a qualitative study consisting of semi-structured interviews between October 2021 and February 2022.

Participants

Eligible participants were physicians, nurses, and non-clinician administrators involved in the process of accepting inter-hospi

SUBMITTER: Harlan EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10228431 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature