Variations in Interfacility Transport: Approach to Call Intake, Team Composition, and Mode of Transport

As regionalization of neonatal and pediatric care increases, so does the demand for neonatal-pediatric interfacility transport. Transport teams capable of performing highly sophisticated procedures and medical decision making bring the capabilities of the tertiary care center to the patient's bedside at referring institutions. Despite the maturation of transport medicine, there continues to be tremendous variability in the functionalities and operational procedures of transport programs nationally. This article explores some of the common variations in practice of these specialty teams, particularly in the realms of managing intake calls, selecting team configurations, and choosing modes of transportation.