Interhospital transfers resulting in liver transplantation: Clinical, regulatory, and economic issues

Interhospital transfers resulting in liver transplantation are defined as hospital admissions resulting in liver transplantation in which the patient's admission originated at another hospital. This includes patients already on the transplant list and those who get evaluated, listed, and transplanted during that hospitalization. In addition, there undoubtedly exist many more transfers for the purpose of transplant evaluation, in which the transplant occurs during a later hospitalization or never occurs at all. Although transplant professionals play a major role in managing these transfers, almost no guidance exists in the literature on the relevant clinical, regulatory, and economic concerns.