US Medical Term · regulatory
Appropriate Transfer
Transferencia Apropiada
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Appropriate Transfer |
| Spanish (Español) | Transferencia Apropiada |
| Chinese (中文) | 适当转院 |
| Korean (한국어) | 적절한 전원 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Chuyển viện phù hợp |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Naaangkop na Paglipat |
| Portuguese (Português) | Transferência Adequada |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | การส่งต่อผู้ป่วยที่เหมาะสม |
| Japanese (日本語) | 適切な転院 |
What it means
Under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), an appropriate transfer is the legally defined process by which a hospital may move an unstabilized emergency patient to another facility. For a transfer to be considered appropriate, the sending hospital must provide all medical treatment within its capacity to minimize risks of transfer, the receiving facility must have room and qualified staff to treat the patient, the receiving hospital must agree to accept the patient, and the patient (or their representative) must consent or the physician must certify that the benefits outweigh the risks. All relevant medical records must be sent along. Hospitals that violate appropriate transfer rules can face significant fines and loss of Medicare participation.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
The ER doctor said my transfer to the trauma center was an appropriate transfer under EMTALA.
El médico de urgencias dijo que mi traslado al centro de trauma fue una transferencia apropiada bajo EMTALA.
Before they moved me, the hospital had to document that it was an appropriate transfer.
Antes de trasladarme, el hospital tuvo que documentar que era una transferencia apropiada.
An appropriate transfer requires the receiving hospital to agree to accept the patient.
Una transferencia apropiada requiere que el hospital receptor acepte al paciente.
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026