Dataset Information

Interhospital transfer dynamics for patients with intracranial hemorrhage in Massachusetts.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Intracranial hemorrhages present across a spectrum of clinical phenotypes, with many patients transferred across hospitals to access higher levels of neurocritical care. We sought to characterize patient dispositions following intracranial hemorrhage and examine disparities associated with interhospital transfers.

Methods

Using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database, we mapped and identified factors influencing the likelihood of patient transfers and receipt of specialist interventional procedures following intracranial hemorrhage.

Results

Of 11,660 patients with intracranial hemorrhage, 59.4% had non-traumatic and 87.5% single compartment bleeds. After presentation, about a quarter of patients were transferred to another facility either directly from the ED (23.0%) or after inpatient admission (1.8%). On unadjusted analysis, patients who were white, in the upper income quartiles, with private insurance, or resided in suburban areas were more frequently transferred. After adjusting for patient-and hospital-level variables, younger and non-white patients had higher odds of transfer. Hospital capabilities, residence location, insurance status, and prior therapeutic relationship remained as transfer predictors. Transferred patients had a similar hospital length of stay compared to admitted patients, with 43.1% having no recorded surgical or specialist interventional procedure after transfer.

Discussion

Our analysis reveals opportunities for improvement in risk stratification guiding transfers, as well as structural challenges likely impacting transfer decisions.

SUBMITTER: Patel RV

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11322084 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Interhospital transfer dynamics for patients with intracranial hemorrhage in Massachusetts.

Patel Ruchit V RV Tong Lilin L Molyneaux Bradley J BJ Patel Nirav J NJ Aziz-Sultan Mohammed A MA Dhand Amar A Bi Wenya Linda WL

Frontiers in neurology 20240731

<h4>Introduction</h4>Intracranial hemorrhages present across a spectrum of clinical phenotypes, with many patients transferred across hospitals to access higher levels of neurocritical care. We sought to characterize patient dispositions following intracranial hemorrhage and examine disparities associated with interhospital transfers.<h4>Methods</h4>Using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database, we mapped and identified factors influencing the likelihood of patient transfers and rec ...[more]

PMID: 39144707

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Project description:BackgroundSuboptimal triage of critically ill patients with surgical sepsis may contribute to adverse outcomes. Patients transferred to a tertiary care center after spending 24 hours or longer at an outside facility were compared with patients who had early triage to a tertiary care center with the null hypothesis that management parameters and outcomes would be similar between groups.MethodsThis prospective observational cohort study included 308 patients treated for surgical sepsis in a surgical intensive care unit at a tertiary care center. Patients transferred after spending more than 24 hours at an outside facility (n = 69) were compared with patients who were directly admitted or transferred within 24 hours (n = 239). Patient characteristics, management parameters, and outcomes were compared between groups. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02276066).ResultsAverage outside facility length of stay in the delayed transfer group was 43 hours. Delayed transfer patients had higher sequential organ failure assessment (7 vs. 5, p = 0.003) and APACHE II scores (19 vs. 16, p = 0.007) on admission. The interval between admission and source control was significantly longer in the delayed transfer group (12.1 hours vs. 1.0 hours, p = 0.009). The incidence of nosocomial infection was significantly higher in the delayed transfer group (41% vs. 23%, p = 0.005). Delayed transfer was independently associated with a 10-day increase in hospital length of stay. Delayed transfer patients were less likely to be discharged home (22% vs. 59%, p < 0.001) and suffered twofold higher in-hospital mortality (14.5% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.056).ConclusionPatients with surgical sepsis who spent more than 24 hours at an outside facility prior to transfer had greater initial illness severity, longer intervals between admission and source control, and more nosocomial infections compared with patients who had early triage to a tertiary care center.Level of evidenceCare management/therapeutic, Level IV; Epidemiologic/prognostic, Level III.

Project description:ImportanceTreatments for time-sensitive acute stroke are not available at every hospital, often requiring interhospital transfer. Current guidelines recommend hospitals achieve a door-in-door-out time of no more than 120 minutes at the transferring emergency department (ED).ObjectiveTo evaluate door-in-door-out times for acute stroke transfers in the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines-Stroke registry and to identify patient and hospital factors associated with door-in-door-out times.Design, setting, and participantsUS registry-based, retrospective study of patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke from January 2019 through December 2021 who were transferred from the ED at registry-affiliated hospitals to other acute care hospitals.ExposurePatient- and hospital-level characteristics.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome was the door-in-door-out time (time of transfer out minus time of arrival to the transferring ED) as a continuous variable and a categorical variable (≤120 minutes, >120 minutes). Generalized estimating equation (GEE) regression models were used to identify patient and hospital-level characteristics associated with door-in-door-out time overall and in subgroups of patients with hemorrhagic stroke, acute ischemic stroke eligible for endovascular therapy, and acute ischemic stroke transferred for reasons other than endovascular therapy.ResultsAmong 108 913 patients (mean [SD] age, 66.7 [15.2] years; 71.7% non-Hispanic White; 50.6% male) transferred from 1925 hospitals, 67 235 had acute ischemic stroke and 41 678 had hemorrhagic stroke. Overall, the median door-in-door-out time was 174 minutes (IQR, 116-276 minutes): 29 741 patients (27.3%) had a door-in-door-out time of 120 minutes or less. The factors significantly associated with longer median times were age 80 years or older (vs 18-59 years; 14.9 minutes, 95% CI, 12.3 to 17.5 minutes), female sex (5.2 minutes; 95% CI, 3.6 to 6.9 minutes), non-Hispanic Black vs non-Hispanic White (8.2 minutes, 95% CI, 5.7 to 10.8 minutes), and Hispanic ethnicity vs non-Hispanic White (5.4 minutes, 95% CI, 1.8 to 9.0 minutes). The following were significantly associated with shorter median door-in-door-out time: emergency medical services prenotification (-20.1 minutes; 95% CI, -22.1 to -18.1 minutes), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score exceeding 12 vs a score of 0 to 1 (-66.7 minutes; 95% CI, -68.7 to -64.7 minutes), and patients with acute ischemic stroke eligible for endovascular therapy vs the hemorrhagic stroke subgroup (-16.8 minutes; 95% CI, -21.0 to -12.7 minutes). Among patients with acute ischemic stroke eligible for endovascular therapy, female sex, Black race, and Hispanic ethnicity were associated with a significantly higher door-in-door-out time, whereas emergency medical services prenotification, intravenous thrombolysis, and a higher NIHSS score were associated with significantly lower door-in-door-out times.Conclusions and relevanceIn this US registry-based study of interhospital transfer for acute stroke, the median door-in-door-out time was 174 minutes, which is longer than current recommendations for acute stroke transfer. Disparities and modifiable health system factors associated with longer door-in-door-out times are suitable targets for quality improvement initiatives.

Dataset Information

Interhospital transfer dynamics for patients with intracranial hemorrhage in Massachusetts.

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Publications

Interhospital transfer dynamics for patients with intracranial hemorrhage in Massachusetts.

Similar Datasets

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