A multi-center prospective cohort study of patient transfers from the intensive care unit to the hospital ward

Purpose To provide a 360-degree description of ICU-to-ward transfers. Methods Prospective cohort study of 451 adults transferred from a medical–surgical ICU to a hospital ward in 10 Canadian hospitals July 2014–January 2016. Transfer processes documented in the medical record. Patient (or delegate) and provider (ICU/ward physician/nurse) perspectives solicited by survey 24–72 h after transfer. Results Medical records (100%) and survey responses (ICU physicians–80%, ICU nurses–80%, ward physicians–46%, ward nurses–64%, patients–74%) were available for most transfers. The median time from initiation to completion of transfer was 25 h (IQR 6–52). ICU physicians and nurses reported communicating with counterparts via telephone (78 and 75%) when transfer was requested (82 and 24%) or accepted (31 and 59%) and providing more elements of clinical information than ward physicians (mean 4.7 vs. 3.9, p