Intrahospital Transfers of Adult Patients Requiring Intensive Treatment - Review Paper

Introduction. The unstructured course of intrahospital transfer affects the quality of healthcare. In addition to various clinically unfavorable incidents that prolong hospital stays and indirectly affect positive treatment outcomes, intrahospital transfers lead tomuch more complex consequences for the health- care system. Particularly vulnerable and sensitive patients are placed in Intensive Care Units. Nurses have a key role in safe intrahospital transfers.Aim. This study, based on the available literature, aims to provide a deeper and more comprehensive insight into the incidence of adverse events caused by intrahospital transfer, identify risk factors, deter- mine the need for more extensive surveillance and propose possible solutions for preventing incidents caused by inadequate IHT and improving the quality of healthcare services.Methods. Review. Search of scientific studies published from 2019 - 2024 in scientific databases Med- Line and Cochrane.Results. Research was conducted on 24 studies related to patients and intrahospital transfer. Of the to- tal 24 studies included, 17 focused on adult patients, while the remaining 7 examined healthcare professionals, primarily nurses involved in intrahospital transfer.Conclusion. Many studies have emphasized the high-quality assessment of the potential benefits of the transfer in comparison with the consequences of adverse events. Special attention has been paid to vitally endangered patients as the most sensitive group whose transfers require a multidisciplinary approach and a clearly structured course. The implementation of protocols and procedures reduces the incidence of adverse events and deterioration of the patient’s condition during intrahospital transfers. Further studies and meta-analyses are needed.