Patient Flow From Intensive Care to Lower Level of Care

The intensive care units of hospitals are designated for patients who require critical medical attention. When doctors deem patients ready, they move them to a lower level of care. The transition between various levels of care within a hospital is known as patient flow.

Process

• Patient flow is a systematic cycle based on a series of inputs and outputs, according to the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems. The inputs, such as the health status of the patient, are the variables that determine the outputs, such as the transition to a lower level of care.

Structure

• Intensive care is the highest unit of a hospital. Patients may be admitted to intensive care units and remain there for weeks or months, or they might be ready to be moved after a matter of days. There are no rules stating how long a patient must remain in intensive care before being transitioned to a lower level.

Responsibility

• Patient flow is a process closely monitored by hospital professionals. Doctors must approve the patient flow from an intensive care unit to a lower level of care, based on their professional medical opinions and assessments of how well the patient is doing. Doctors have criteria that warrant them to either move a patient down, or keep them in intensive care.