Transfers of children between hospitals in Massachusetts increased by 36% between 2002 and 2014, Reuters reports. 

The research showed consolidation of care into regional centers for both adults and children over the decade studied. But the move to regional care for children far outpaced that for adults.

The likelihood of a hospital completing a child’s care without a transfer dropped by 65 percent from 2004 to 2014, while the likelihood of a hospital completing an adult’s care without a transfer fell by 11 percent, the study found.

Dr. Nicholas Mohr, a professor at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, said doctors have seen the trend in hospitals throughout the U.S. But the number of children transferred between Massachusetts hospitals surprised him.

“Fewer children are being cared for in community hospitals,” he said in a phone interview. “The big question is whether that’s good or bad.”

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