Development of a resource manual for returning neonates to community hospitals.
To facilitate the transfer of an infant from a tertiary NICU to a community Level II hospital for convalescing follow-up care, the tertiary staff must know the referral center's capabilities. This will help to establish a trusting relationship between hospitals, will enable the tertiary staff to send infants back to the referral center in a timely manner, will enable them to reassure the patient's parents concerning the transfer, and will facilitate communication between the hospitals and the patient's family. This article describes the development of a referring hospital resource manual designed to facilitate the transfer process.
Lofgren
M A
MA
Statewide Perinatal Care Program, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City 52242-1083, USA.
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003289:Convalescence; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007484:Iowa; D008370:Manuals as Topic; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000458:organization & administration