Episode Details: Inter-Hospital Transfers Impact
What you’ll get from this episode:
- Dr. Stephanie Mueller’s Dual Role: Dr. Mueller serves as a clinician investigator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, focusing on clinical care and research related to healthcare transitions, particularly inter-hospital transfers.
- Impact of Inter-Hospital Transfers: Analysis reveals that such transfers can lead to longer hospital stays and higher costs, with variable impacts on patient mortality depending on the diagnosis.
- Challenges of Patient Transfers: Initially termed “OSH bombs”, these transfers often involve critically ill patients arriving with insufficient information, posing significant risks to patient safety.
- Evolution of Transfer Processes: Advances like the integration of electronic health records and the establishment of specialized transfer centers have streamlined the patient transfer process, enhancing communication and patient care.
- The Role of Telehealth: Telehealth has emerged as a potent alternative to physical transfers, potentially reducing unnecessary hospital visits and optimizing resource use.
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Introduction to Inter-Hospital Transfers
Dr. Stephanie Mueller discusses the complex dynamics of inter-hospital transfers, highlighting the mix of clinical challenges and systemic improvements over time. Her research focuses on understanding the nuances that influence patient outcomes, including the length of hospital stays and the associated healthcare costs.
Understanding Patient Safety and Transfer Efficiency
Mueller delves into the historical challenges faced during patient transfers, commonly referred to as “OSH bombs”, where patients arrive at tertiary care centers under critical conditions without proper advance notifications, leading to rushed and often suboptimal care transitions.
Advances in Hospital Transfer Protocols
The integration of modern technology such as electronic health records and the establishment of centralized access centers like the Mass General Brigham Patient Transfer Access Center (PTAC) have significantly improved the efficiency and safety of patient transfers. These developments help ensure that patients receive timely and appropriate care.
Telehealth as a Strategic Alternative
Dr. Mueller also touches on the significant potential of telehealth to reduce the frequency of unnecessary inter-hospital transfers. By allowing for remote consultations and care, telehealth platforms can mitigate the risks and costs associated with physical patient transfers, especially in less critical cases.
Future Directions in Patient Transfer Research
The ongoing New Point study, led by Dr. Mueller, aims to define and identify unnecessary transfers, further aiming to refine patient care protocols and enhance system-wide healthcare delivery efficiency. This research could lead to major shifts in how hospitals manage patient transfers, emphasizing safety and cost-effectiveness.
This episode is presented by AmplifyMD.
“AmplifyMD immediately connects medical facilities to a large network of
physicians in all of the most essential specialties, including Neurology, Cardiology,
Infectious Disease, Pulmonology and Heme/Onc.” Their mission is access, by becoming
the definitive specialty care platform that connects every medical facility to the specialty
care they need to improve patient outcomes. – https://amplifymd.com/
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