title: Interhospital Transfer Center Model: Components, Themes, and Design Elements.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Timely access to advanced and specialist treatment often requires rapid interhospital transfer of patients from community hospitals to tertiary care centers. Transfer systems are variable in structure and process and are described in the literature as being fragmented, complex, and difficult to navigate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nonparticipant observation at 10 tertiary care transfer systems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Identified core components (ie, primary transfer system answering point, bed management coordination, and transport team dispatch) are essential elements of an interhospital tertiary care transfer center.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Interhospital Transfer Center Model provides a useful framework to guide the design, implementation, and evaluation of interhospital transfer systems.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins Hospital, Lifeline Critical Care Transport Program, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: snewton5@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Scott M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Maryann
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fralic
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D062209:Patient Handoff; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013597:Systems Analysis; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers