Transfer of Care Time

Identifying Attributes

Care Settings
Hospital Care
Country
Australia
Publishing Organisation
New South Wales Bureau of Health Information (BHI)
Type of Quality Indicator
Outcome
IOM Quality Dimension
Timeliness
Setting-Specific Domain
Care Transitions

Defining Attributes

Definition

The difference between arrival time and the time responsibility for the patient's care was transferred from paramedics to emergency department (ED) staff in an ED treatment zone.

Numerator

The number of patients who arrived by ambulance for whom responsibility for their care was transferred from paramedics to ED staff in an ED treatment zone within 30 minutes.

Denominator

All patients arriving by ambulance at hospitals with an ED which is included in Healthcare Quarterly and with records in the Transfer of Care Reporting System (TCRS).

Exclusions

Hospitals with fewer than 50 matched records in the quarter.

Use of Risk Adjustment
No
Risk Adjustments

None

Stratifications

By hospital and median and 90th percentile time.

Collection and Reporting Attributes

Type of Data Collection
Administrative data
Data Collection Methods

Transfer of Care Reporting System (TCRS) portal

Frequency of Data Collection
Quarterly
Frequency of Data Collection in Days
91
Reporting Methods
Reporting Frequency
Quarterly
Reporting Frequency in Days
91
Indicator Has Recommended Targets
No

Source and Reference Attributes

Link to Measurement Tools
Domain
Wait Time
Quality Indicator Confirmed to be Part of a Program Used to Monitor Quality and Safety of Care Among Older People at a Population-Level between 2012-2022
Yes
Assessed by the Australian Consortium for Aged Care Collaborators as Generally Containing Good Properties (Importance and Scientific Acceptability)
No
Australian Consortium for Aged Care Endorsed
No
Can the Quality Indicator be Readily Implemented at a Population Level in Australia Given its Current Data Landscape?
Implementation of this quality indicator was not assessed.
Identified by PHARMA-Care Project
No
Upload Date
23 July 2025