Developing the Synergy Model Patient Acuity Tool for Admission, Discharge, and Transfer.

Background: The Admission Discharge Transfer-Synergy Model Acuity Tool (ADT-SMAT) was developed to quantify patient intervention intensity and patient response variability and to capture nurses' critical thinking. The tool is based on the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Synergy Model for Patient Care.

Objective: To determine whether the ADT-SMAT is reliable and valid for predicting the level of care for admission, discharge, and transfer of critically ill patients.