Emergency Department Transfer Communications (EDTC) Measures
While emergency care is important in all hospitals, the emergency department is particularly important in rural hospitals where the distance to urban medical centers makes the effective triage, stabilization, and transfer of patients essential. Communication problems are a major contributing factor to adverse healthcare events in hospitals, accounting for 65% of sentinel events tracked by The Joint Commission. In addition, research indicates that deficits exist in the transfer of patient information between hospitals and community primary care physicians, and between hospitals and long-term care facilities. For example, when a patient arrives at an emergency department needing time-sensitive care that includes transfer to a tertiary care center, the rural hospital’s ability to quickly assess, arrange, and get the patient out the door with the necessary and appropriate information can be of life or death importance.
Data indicating how well a rural hospital serves this important stabilize-and-transfer care transition role is not currently widely available. This measure allows hospitals to collect information on emergency department transfer communication, and use the data to improve quality of care, safety and outcomes for patients transferred from their emergency department.
The EDTC Measure Set has been simplified from 27 data elements to 8 data elements and the ALL EDTC composite of those 8 data measures. Patient encounters from January 1st 2020 going forward will measure the revised 8 measure EDTC data set.
EDTC-1: Home Medications
EDTC-2: Allergies and/or Reactions
EDTC-3: Medications Administered in ED
EDTC-4: ED Provider Note
EDTC-5: Mental Status/Orientation Assessment
EDTC-6: Reason for Transfer and/or Plan of Care
EDTC-7: Tests and/or Procedures Performed
EDTC-8: Tests and/or Procedure Results
The Stratis website contains the Stratis EDTC Tool and its instructions.
- The Data Specifications Manual, including data specifications for each measure
- Three versions of the Data Collection Tool, each designed to work with a specific version of Excel, or non-Excel software
- Training videos for abstraction and a step-by-step guide to using the collection tool
- EDTC Frequently Asked Questions
Helpful Hints
Downloading the Data Collection Tool: It is very important to download the tool and save it on your computer before using it. Using the tool, you enter chart-abstracted information. It then calculates the numerator for each EDTC measure, as well as a composite “EDTC-all” measure. Your denominator will be the same for each measure.
Sampling: If you have more than 45 cases per quarter (15/month), you will sample. You will NOT need to enter every case if your total case count is more than 45 in a quarter.
How to Report: The data will be due to Megan Polster at the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, at the end of the month that follows the quarter. You will receive an email from WI-ORH, each quarter, which provides a link to a data-entry system where you can enter your EDTC data. If you would like to be added to the EDTC Communications list, please contact Megan Polster.