Inter-hospital patient transfer project

Page content: Background | Current status | Download documents | Podcast | Workshop

Background

Inter-hospital patient transfer is a frequent and important part of the Victorian health care system. The VQC has conducted a range of activities that have identified clinical handover and documentation relating to non-time critical inter-hospital tranfer as an area requiring improvement and standardisation.

A survey of inter-hospital patient transfer practices was undertaken with Victorian public hospitals in November 2007. The survey identified that there were variations in transfer documentation, information flow and transfer processes across the Victorian Health Sector.

The VQC held an Inter-Hospital Patient Transfer Workshop with the health sector and consumer representatives in March 2008. The objectives of the workshop were to elucidate participants’ perceptions of major issues related to inter-hospital patient transfer and to look at ways to improve inter-hospital patient and information transfer. The workshop themes, feedback and presentations are available.

The above activities identified significant variations in transfer practices, and in particular, the flow of information (verbal and written) between health services. Issues identified during the transfer of patients include 'too many forms', the lack of standardised transfer information, the inconsistent use of terminology, duplication of information and poor, incomplete or inaccurate information.

Inter-Hospital Patient Transfer Form Pilot Project

The VQC PTG developed and piloted a generic Inter Hospital Transfer Form (IHTF) in eight Victorian health services between August and November 2010 in 339 non-time critical patient transfers. The Pilot sites included four single health services plus a consortium of four health services.

• that the concept of a generic IHTF was supported by health service staff
• areas for improvement on the piloted form that required modification prior to ongoing use
• that staff from receiving hospitals expressed greater satisfaction with the form than staff from sending hospitals; and
• barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a generic form.

IHTF Current status

The Secretary for Health and the full VQC endorsed the rollout of the IHTF across all Victorian health services. The form will replace the multitude of 'transfer' forms currently being used by Victorian health services. The intention is to standardise the terminology and data sent and expected by health services during an inter-hospital patient transfer, and to emphasise that the responsibility of the sending hospital extends until the patient is admitted to the receiving hospital thus improving the quality and safety of patient transfer.

Implementation of the IHTF is intended to assist with a structured clinical handover of non-time critical inter-hospital patient transfers and with implementation of the National Clinical Handover Standard.

The Secretary for Health requests that all hospitals implement the form by January 2012

A copy of the IHTF and Instructions for use are available below.

The IHTF will be evaluated further once the IHTF has been implemented and in use for a period.

All IHTF users are invited to provide feedback via email to VQC@health.vic.gov.au on the IHTF between 1 and 31 May 2012.

Download documents

 Inter Hospital Patient Transfer Form

 Inter Hospital Transfer Form Instructions for Use

 Evaluation Report Inter-Hospital Patient Transfer Form Pliot Project

Inter-Hospital patient transfer - A thematic analysis of the literature (189kb, pdf)

Current Inter-Hospital practice survey report (222kb, pdf)

Themes from the Victorian Quality Council Inter-Hospital Patient Transfer Workshop - Group work summary (230kb, pdf)

Feedback from the Victoria Quality Council Inter-Hospital Patient Transfer Workshop (201kb, pdf)

Podcast

Workshop

Presentations from workshop held on 12 March 2008

Current Interhospital Patient Transfer Practice (1,673kb, pdf)

Adult Retrieval Victoria (226kb, pdf)

Newborn Emergency Transport Service (253kb, pdf)

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