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Hospitalists: A new breed of doctors

If a hospital stay is in your future, don't be surprised if you're cared for by a doctor you've never heard of: a hospitalist.

Unlike traditional doctors, this new breed of physician doesn't see patients away from a hospital. In fact, the hospitalist's sole responsibility is to care for hospitalized patients, from admission to discharge--hence the name.

Although the public may not yet be aware of them, these specialists belong to the fastest-growing field in medicine. Not all that long ago, there were only a few thousand hospitalists in the entire country. Now, there are over 20,000 practicing hospitalists. And it's plausible that within a decade every hospital will have at least one hospitalist on staff.

Typically hired directly by hospitals, these doctors practice exclusively on-site, ordering appropriate diagnostic tests, monitoring their patients' conditions, making treatment decisions with input from primary care doctors and coordinating patient care among all members of the hospital staff.

Their surge in popularity is fueled by several factors:

• Hospitalists--most of whom are either trained as internists or pediatricians--become especially skilled at treating health problems common among hospitalized patients, such as pneumonia, infections, heart attacks and congestive heart failure.
• Hospitalists are readily available to their patients. Because they're hospital-based, hospitalists generally can respond quickly whenever a patient or family member has a question or concern. This contrasts with traditional doctors, who often see their hospitalized patients only during morning or evening rounds.
• Because they're near their patient's bedside, hospitalists can recognize and react quickly to any changes in their patient's condition--a real advantage.

"In terms of treatment, patients are simply better off when doctors can check on them several times a day," says Joan Krikava, MD, hospitalist and director of medical affairs at New Ulm Medical Center. A growing body of research suggests that hospitalists improve the overall quality of patient care.

There have been more than 100 studies published on the impact of hospitalists. Most studies show that hospitalists help reduce the risk of medical errors, reduce the length of patient stays and reduce hospital costs.

Krikava offers this example of how a hospitalist might do all of those things: "Let's say you're admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. Your own doctor might see one or two cases of pneumonia a month as part of his or her office practice, but a hospitalist might easily see dozens. Along with this extra experience treating your condition, a hospitalist can check on you regularly and share all pertinent information with your doctor. So chances are, you will get better sooner and have fewer complications," says Krikava.

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Hospitalists at New Ulm Medical Center provide patients with best of both worlds

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First published: 11/24/2008
Last updated: 11/24/2008

Reviewed by: Joan M Krikava, MD, New Ulm Medical Center Hospitalist