Implications of interhospital patient transfers for emergency medical services transportation systems in the Netherlands: a retrospective study (2024)

van der Zee, D.-J., Maruster, L., Buijs, P., Aerts-Veenstra, M., Hatenboer, J. (2024). Implications of interhospital patient transfers for emergency medical services transportation systems in the Netherlands: a retrospective study. BMJ Open, 14, Artikel e077181. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077181

van der Zee, Durk-Jouke ; Maruster, Laura ; Buijs, Paul et al. / Implications of interhospital patient transfers for emergency medical services transportation systems in the Netherlands: a retrospective study. In: BMJ Open. 2024 ; Vol. 14.

@article{1b3009cc8c964d2ba16f8a6e9137ef7d,

title = "Implications of interhospital patient transfers for emergency medical services transportation systems in the Netherlands: a retrospective study",

abstract = "Objectives: Interhospital patient transfers have become routine. Known drivers are access to specialty care and non-clinical reasons, such as limited capacity. While emergency medical services (EMS) providers act as main patient transfer operators, the impact of interhospital transfers on EMS service demand and fleet management remains understudied. This study aims to identify patterns in regional interhospital patient transfer volumes and their spatial distribution, and to discuss their potential implications for EMS service demand and fleet management.Design: A retrospective study was performed analysing EMS transport data from the province of Drenthe in the Netherlands between 2013 and 2019 and public hospital listings. Yearly volume changes in urgent and planned interhospital transfers were quantified. Further network analysis, including geomapping, was used to study how transfer volumes and their spatial distribution relate to hospital specialisation, and servicing multihospital systems. Organisational data were considered for relating transfer patterns to fleet changes.Setting: EMS in the province of Drenthe, the Netherlands, 492 167 inhabitants.Participants: Analyses are based on routinely collected patient data from EMS records, entailing all 248 114 transports (137 168 patients) of the Drenthe EMS provider (2013–2019). From these interhospital transports were selected (24 311 transports).Results: Interhospital transfers represented a considerable (9.8%) and increasing share of transports (from 8.6% in 2013 to 11.3% in 2019). Most transfers were related to multihospital systems (47.3%, 11 509 transports), resulting in a considerable growth of planned EMS transports (from 2093 in 2013 to 3511 in 2019). Geomapping suggests increasing transfer distances and diminishing resource efficiencies due to lacking follow-up rides. Organisational data clarify how EMS fleets were adjusted by expanding resources and reorganising fleet operation.Conclusions: Emerging interhospital network transfers play an important role in EMS service demand. Increased interhospital transport volumes and geographical spread require a redesign of current EMS fleets and management along regional lines.",

author = "{van der Zee}, Durk-Jouke and Laura Maruster and Paul Buijs and Marjolein Aerts-Veenstra and Jaap Hatenboer and Erik Buskens",

year = "2024",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077181",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

journal = "BMJ Open",

issn = "2044-6055",

publisher = "BMJ Publishing Group",

}

van der Zee, D-J, Maruster, L, Buijs, P, Aerts-Veenstra, M, Hatenboer, J 2024, 'Implications of interhospital patient transfers for emergency medical services transportation systems in the Netherlands: a retrospective study', BMJ Open, vol. 14, e077181. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077181

Implications of interhospital patient transfers for emergency medical services transportation systems in the Netherlands: a retrospective study. / van der Zee, Durk-Jouke; Maruster, Laura; Buijs, Paul et al.
In: BMJ Open, Vol. 14, e077181, 06.2024.

Onderzoeksoutput › Academic › peer review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Implications of interhospital patient transfers for emergency medical services transportation systems in the Netherlands: a retrospective study

AU - van der Zee, Durk-Jouke

AU - Maruster, Laura

AU - Buijs, Paul

AU - Aerts-Veenstra, Marjolein

AU - Hatenboer, Jaap

AU - Buskens, Erik

PY - 2024/6

Y1 - 2024/6

N2 - Objectives: Interhospital patient transfers have become routine. Known drivers are access to specialty care and non-clinical reasons, such as limited capacity. While emergency medical services (EMS) providers act as main patient transfer operators, the impact of interhospital transfers on EMS service demand and fleet management remains understudied. This study aims to identify patterns in regional interhospital patient transfer volumes and their spatial distribution, and to discuss their potential implications for EMS service demand and fleet management.Design: A retrospective study was performed analysing EMS transport data from the province of Drenthe in the Netherlands between 2013 and 2019 and public hospital listings. Yearly volume changes in urgent and planned interhospital transfers were quantified. Further network analysis, including geomapping, was used to study how transfer volumes and their spatial distribution relate to hospital specialisation, and servicing multihospital systems. Organisational data were considered for relating transfer patterns to fleet changes.Setting: EMS in the province of Drenthe, the Netherlands, 492 167 inhabitants.Participants: Analyses are based on routinely collected patient data from EMS records, entailing all 248 114 transports (137 168 patients) of the Drenthe EMS provider (2013–2019). From these interhospital transports were selected (24 311 transports).Results: Interhospital transfers represented a considerable (9.8%) and increasing share of transports (from 8.6% in 2013 to 11.3% in 2019). Most transfers were related to multihospital systems (47.3%, 11 509 transports), resulting in a considerable growth of planned EMS transports (from 2093 in 2013 to 3511 in 2019). Geomapping suggests increasing transfer distances and diminishing resource efficiencies due to lacking follow-up rides. Organisational data clarify how EMS fleets were adjusted by expanding resources and reorganising fleet operation.Conclusions: Emerging interhospital network transfers play an important role in EMS service demand. Increased interhospital transport volumes and geographical spread require a redesign of current EMS fleets and management along regional lines.

AB - Objectives: Interhospital patient transfers have become routine. Known drivers are access to specialty care and non-clinical reasons, such as limited capacity. While emergency medical services (EMS) providers act as main patient transfer operators, the impact of interhospital transfers on EMS service demand and fleet management remains understudied. This study aims to identify patterns in regional interhospital patient transfer volumes and their spatial distribution, and to discuss their potential implications for EMS service demand and fleet management.Design: A retrospective study was performed analysing EMS transport data from the province of Drenthe in the Netherlands between 2013 and 2019 and public hospital listings. Yearly volume changes in urgent and planned interhospital transfers were quantified. Further network analysis, including geomapping, was used to study how transfer volumes and their spatial distribution relate to hospital specialisation, and servicing multihospital systems. Organisational data were considered for relating transfer patterns to fleet changes.Setting: EMS in the province of Drenthe, the Netherlands, 492 167 inhabitants.Participants: Analyses are based on routinely collected patient data from EMS records, entailing all 248 114 transports (137 168 patients) of the Drenthe EMS provider (2013–2019). From these interhospital transports were selected (24 311 transports).Results: Interhospital transfers represented a considerable (9.8%) and increasing share of transports (from 8.6% in 2013 to 11.3% in 2019). Most transfers were related to multihospital systems (47.3%, 11 509 transports), resulting in a considerable growth of planned EMS transports (from 2093 in 2013 to 3511 in 2019). Geomapping suggests increasing transfer distances and diminishing resource efficiencies due to lacking follow-up rides. Organisational data clarify how EMS fleets were adjusted by expanding resources and reorganising fleet operation.Conclusions: Emerging interhospital network transfers play an important role in EMS service demand. Increased interhospital transport volumes and geographical spread require a redesign of current EMS fleets and management along regional lines.

U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077181

DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077181

M3 - Article

SN - 2044-6055

VL - 14

JO - BMJ Open

JF - BMJ Open

M1 - e077181

ER -

van der Zee DJ, Maruster L, Buijs P, Aerts-Veenstra M, Hatenboer J, Buskens E. Implications of interhospital patient transfers for emergency medical services transportation systems in the Netherlands: a retrospective study. BMJ Open. 2024 jun.;14:e077181. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077181