Urban and Rural Patterns in Emergent Pediatric Transfer: A Call for Regionalization

Context National groups call for the regionalization of health care, to direct patients with high‐risk conditions to designated hospitals with greater capabilities. Currently there is limited information detailing the characteristics and specific needs of acutely ill and injured children who require transfer to another institution, especially in underserved rural communities. Purpose To determine the epidemiology of pediatric transfers from urban and rural emergency departments (EDs). Methods We analyzed data in the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 1995 to 2010. Eligible children were