Trends in Patient Transfers From Overall and Caseload-Strained US Hospitals During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Based on a survey of 681 U.S. hospitals, the authors found that fewer than usual outgoing transfers to acute care hospitals occurred during periods of patient surge during the pandemic. They also found that rural hospitals with fewer than 200 beds were unable to load balance patients by transferring them. They emphasize the need to understand and plan to mitigate the effect of this challenge on patient safety and access to care during future public health emergencies.