Interfacility Transfers
Patient transfers from one facility to another can occur for a number of reasons. Care may need to escalate (e.g., transfer to a tertiary care facility) or shift to an alternate level of care (e.g., transfer to a rehabilitation or long-term care facility).
Computers do not transfer patients. It is always important to establish shared understanding between sending and receiving teams about what is about to happen and who bears what responsibility.
Leave or Transfer?
A transfer occurs when a patient moves to a different facility and is not expected to return.
A leave of absence occurs when the patient is expected to return. (For more information, see the Leave of Absence section of this Manual.)
When to Involve RAAPID
The RAAPID service manages all consultation requests within Connect Care. It should be used for transfers to a higher or lower level of care (including repatriations), and for transfers to emergency care. For more information, including workflows specific to ED and specialties, see the RAAPID Services section of this Manual.
Admission or Transfer?
Either or both of the sending and receiving sites may use Connect Care as the record of care.
A transfer received from a non-Connect Care site functions like a Direct Admission, while a transfer received from a Connect Care site is handled within Connect Care.
A transfer sent from a Connect Care site is handled differently, depending upon whether the destination site is on Connect Care or not, as detailed below.
Connect Care or non-Connect Care Facility?
Until Connect Care has fully deployed throughout Alberta, there may be uncertainty about which facilities and sites are using Connect Care as their record of care and which are using different systems. The Connect Care facility list grows with each Connect Care launch. The following two resources can help clinicians determine which transfer workflows to use. Clinicians' awareness of facility information system status should be refreshed with each new Connect Care launch.
Interfacility Transfers from Non-Connect Care Sites
Interfacility transfers (IFTs) from sites where Connect Care is not the record of care follow their usual processes. This involves a RAAPID call requesting consultation and possible transfer to a higher level of care. If a transfer is approved, the sending site prepares transfer documents and transport orders in their legacy systems (e.g., paper).
Interfacility Transfers from Connect Care Sites
All IFTs from a site where Connect Care is the record of care are managed with an "Interfacility Transfer" navigator, found as a single tab within the "Discharge" activity available when a patient's chart is opened to an inpatient encounter. The navigator contains instructions. It is important to note different paths within the navigator according to whether the patient is going to a Connect Care site or a non-Connect Care site.
Notes: Every transfer to a Continuing Care site (e.g., Long-Term Care [LTC], Designated Supportive Living, post-acute, hospice) is an IFT (with additional considerations, noted below). A LTC/Continuing Care centre is considered a separate facility even when located in the same building as an inpatient unit.