Rural Interfacility Emergency Department Transfers: Framework and Qualitative Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Interfacility transfers from rural emergency departments (EDs) are an important means of access to timely and specialized care.

Methods

Our goal was to identify and explore facilitators and barriers in transfer processes and their implications for emergency rural care and access. Semi-structured interviews with ED staff at five rural and two urban Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed using an iterative inductive-deductive approach to identify themes and construct a conceptual framework.

Results

From 81 interviews with clinical and administrative staff between March-June 2018, four themes in the interfacility transfer process emerged: 1) patient factors; 2) system resources; and 3) processes and com

SUBMITTER: McNaughton CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7390588 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature