FP Report -- March 1999
Hospitalists
Description. A hospitalist is a physician who spends 25 percent or more of his or her time managing the hospital care of patients referred by primary care physicians in the community.
Prevalence. About 3,000 physicians identify themselves as hospitalists, says the National Association of Inpatient Physicians.
Trouble? A few HMOs mandate the use of hospitalists. Medical societies, including the AAFP, say using hospitalists should be a choice, not a requirement, for patients and physicians.
Breeds. Hospitalists come in many models, including full-time, part-time, FPs, internists, other specialists. They work in large HMO systems and private practices, and they often cover only medical patients (not OB, CCU, ICU, surgery).
- Sluggish growth. Most large health systems are not investing in the hospitalist concept wholesale until they see that it works.
"The hospitalist steamroller is idling in the station," said Charlotte Krebs, director of the AAFP Socioeconomics Division. "Whatever survives is likely to be good for patient care and not disastrous for family practice."
Caution. If you're considering using a hospitalist, weigh the long-term consequences for your access to the hospital.
FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department. Copyright © 1999 by American Academy of Family Physicians.
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