SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC DETERMINANTS IN THE HOSPITALIZATION DECISION - EVALUATION OF AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT INTERHOSPITAL TRANSFER POLICY

Study objectives: To evaluate an emergency department's ''treat and tr ansfer'' policy during a two-month period of reduced inpatient capacit y by determining the number and characteristics of transferred patient s not admitted as planned to the receiving hospital. Design: Matched c ase-control analysis. Setting: Public hospital adult ED. Type of parti cipants: Patients transferred to other hospitals for admission. Interv entions: None. Measurements and main results: Twelve percent of patien ts (16 of 135) were not admitted after transfer during the first month , and 8% during the two-month period. Only IV drug use was found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of discharge without admission (odds ratio = 9.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.9 to 47.8). Co nclusion: Patients transferred from the public hospital ED resulted in admission to the receiving hospital in 92% of transfers. A history of IV drug use was the only characteristic found to be associated with d ischarge without admission to the accepting hospital.