Selection of a hospital for a transfer: the roles of patients, families, physicians and payers.

Objective: This study investigates the reasons for hospital transfers and the role patients, their families, physicians, and payers play in the choice of a referral center.

Data Sources: A thirty-three item questionnaire and clinical data from the hospital's discharge database.

Study Design: A study of all 307 hospital transfer patients admitted between November 9 and December 3, 1993 was conducted to understand the factors contributing to the increase in transfers and the reasons patients were sent to CCH.