Hi all, (I apologize for this being so lengthy)
We are a non verified level II and we are looking at our policy regarding acute
ED transfer of trauma patients to our facility for diagnostic studies such as a
CT scan. Currently any facility can send a patient from their ED directly to
our radiology department for diagnostic studies anytime of the day or night.
The scans are completed and the patient awaits the results in our radiology
suite, the results are called to the sending facilities physician. If the
results are negative the patient returns to the sending facility usually via
BLS ambulance, if the results are positive the sending physician then
telephones our ED and asks our ED physicians to see the patient. The patient is
then brought to the ED. Sometimes the patient may have transfer papers
sometimes no paperwork is ever sent from the sending hospital (was it even a
transfer?) The patient is usual only monitored by our radiology staff that is
performing the scan, the transport crew assumes little if any responsibility
for the patient while in our facility and is usually a BLS crew. At our
facility we do not have 24/7 Radiologist coverage so after 5pm all
interpretation is done by teleradiography. If our technologist picks up on a
significant injury before the report is back from teleradiology they will
notify our ED physician and the needs of the patient will be meet by our ED
without further to-do.
After this lengthy description. My questions are: Do your facilities have
similar processes? Do you have policies that you'd be willing to share? If
not, do you have alternative processes that you'd be willing to share along
with policies? Do you have the support of your ED physicians on the process
you have in place? What level trauma center are you? Are you verified? One
last question does this only apply to trauma patients or does this process
apply to all ED patients?
Becca
Rebecca Clements, RN BSN
Immanuel St. Joseph's-Mayo Health System
Trauma Services
1025 Marsh St
Mankato, MN 56002-8673
Office: 507-389-4822
Fax: 507-389-4873
clements.rebecca@mayo.edu
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