Hospitals, Transfer of Patients

Transfer of a patient from one institution to another ultimately must be in the best interest of the patient without regard to financial barriers and in accordance with federal law.

The AAFP believes that the final decision regarding transfer of a patient must be made by the attending physician in consultation with the patient and/or the patient's family and the physician(s) involved with the referral. The rationale to deny a transfer must be clearly articulated to the attending physician involved in the referral. It is incumbent upon the hospital to share information to the patient’s primary care practice in near-real time based on current technology through the support of admission-discharge-transfer systems (ADTs). (1986) (September 2022 COD)