In the trauma care workflow, what factor is used to decide on admission vs transfer?

• A. Time of day
• B. Weather
• C. Need for definitive care and CT results
• D. Patient mood

Answer: (C)

The decision to admit or transfer in the trauma workflow is driven by whether the patient needs definitive care that isn’t available at the current facility, and whether CT imaging is needed to identify injuries and plan treatment. If definitive interventions (such as surgery or interventional procedures) or specific imaging are required and cannot be provided locally, the patient should be transferred to a center that can deliver that care and perform the CT. If the patient can be managed with non-definitive care and the necessary CT information can be obtained locally to guide ongoing management, admission to the appropriate unit is appropriate. Nonclinical factors like time of day, weather, or the patient’s mood do not determine the clinical decision to admit versus transfer.