Research Confirms the Benefits of Hospitalists, Case Study Example

According to Shaun Caudill, “A hospitalist is a hospital-based specialist physician who cares for patients while they are hospitalized” (2007). Therefore, these individuals are focused on short-term intensive care. When patients are in the hospital, care is seen as a partnership between the patient’s primary care physician and the hospitalist. Because of the specializations that these two physicians have, they are able to work together in a productive and efficient manner to help decrease hospital stays and positively contribute to patient care.

While hospitalists have responsibilities with regards to patient care, it is important to consider that they are specialists in the inpatient setting. As such, they tend to fill many necessary roles in their health care setting. In addition to tending to patient care, these individuals are also highly involved in institutional health care research, leadership, and teaching. These multiple roles allow these individuals to have an intricate understanding of the hospital’s needs and apply statistics understandings about the needs of patients in the hospital to the care of new individuals. This helps direct personalized care in a manner that benefits both the hospital and the patient.

In spite of growing research that demonstrates that hospitalists are effective contributors to patient care, there remains no comprehensive understanding of what specific duties the hospitalist should perform. However, while keeping these responsibilities broad is confusing, it contributes to the efficacy of the role of this professional. Because hospitalists are involved in various aspects of care in the hospital, they have the ability to make evidence-based decisions in a manner that other internal medicine physicians cannot. Thus, they are able to address the specific needs of patients within their health care institution.

The employment of hospitalists reflect a growing trend that has developed in response to the busy schedule of primary care physicians. Instead of requiring primary care doctors to travel to their patients’ sites frequently, having a hospitalist on site ensures that their patients will receive regular care even when the primary physician is not present. While the primary care physician will work as a partner in the patient’s care, the hospitalist will become mainly responsible for the supervision of the patient. The role of the hospitalist also enables patients to see specialist physicians more quickly. The recommendation for specialist care can be provided by the hospitalist in a manner that ensures the patient will receive help more quickly. Overall, the use of hospitalists have either maintained or improved patient satisfaction in a majority of hospital settings.

 Studies have shown that hospitalists have a positive impact on hospital care in several different areas, including patient safety and quality of care, economic efficiency, access and availability, satisfaction, and leadership and education (OBHG Super Admin, 2015). Because these individuals spend more time within their health care setting than the primary care physician of most patients, they are better able to address the needs of individuals in the inpatient setting. In a sense, hospitalists have evolved out of the need for inpatient specialists. Traditionally, physicians would balance their time between the inpatient and outpatient setting. However, the direct employment of doctors in the hospital setting allows for the provision of more efficient care.

Evidence for patient safety and quality of care is demonstrated by the fact that, “Hospitalists’ clinical efficiency is especially apparent in emergent and clinically complex patients which are often the costliest patients for hospitals” (OBHG Super Admin, 2015). Because hospitalists are more experienced in sustained patient care, they create a lesser need for transfers between departments and enable efficient use of the physician’s availability. As a consequence, the continued presence of hospitalists in a specified health care institution also contributes to access and availability of health care professionals. Furthermore, hospitalists contribute to economic efficiency because it has been demonstrated that institutions that utilize hospitalists have an overall shorter length of stay for patients. In addition, lower readmission rates were observed.

Last, it is important to consider that “patients cared for by hospitalists had higher satisfaction scores” (OBHG Super Admin, 2015). This is an essential understanding because it demonstrates that patients recognize the difference in care that they are receiving as a consequence of this new physician role. Therefore, it is reasonable for health care institutions to make hospitalist practice more common. These individuals also further contribute to quality patient care by enacting strong leadership and education skills in the health care setting. By providing management with direction and training programs for new physicians and other members of the health care team, hospitalists can reasonably contribute to the resolution of common problems seen within health care organizations.

Overall, it is apparent that hospitalists are effective in improving patient care on many levels. Because these individuals are inpatient specialists, they are able to provide care in a more efficient manner. Furthermore, since they are housed within a single health care institution, they are able to more meaningfully contribute to quality improvements that will have a positive impact on patient care.

References

Caudill, S. (2007). Hospitalists shorten hospital stays and improve patient care. UK Health Care. Retrieved from http://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/Hospitalists-shorten-hospital-stays-and-improve-patient-care/

OBHG Super Admin. (2015). Research Confirms the Benefits of Hospitalists. Retrieved from http://www.obhg.com/media-room/post/research-confirms-the-benefits-of-hospitalists