New System Aims to Simplify Patient Transfers in Emergency

This article discusses the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford electronic medical records system, which may make the transfer process of patients safer and more efficient in the event of an evacuation due to a major crisis (e.g., earthquake or power outage). Caregivers have access to an automated report that categorizes patients in terms of their specific needs (e.g., what types of intravenous medication they receive, whether they’re on ventilators, or whether they need an intensive care unit bed). This system is part of a Stanford-designed program called TRAIN (Triage by Resource Allocation for Inpatients), which helps determine what vehicles and equipment are necessary for continuous patient care during a crisis event and simplifies communicating patients’ needs to other hospitals or command centers coordinating transfers.