As the cost of health care climbs, hospitals are looking for innovative solutions to help patients more effectively. While media and regulatory attention is solidly focused on insurance costs and record keeping, hospitals are also considering new approaches to physician staffing.
The Hospital Medicine Doctor Comes Into Prominence
Physicians are increasingly taking on the role of hospitalist - a doctor trained in primary care, like an internist or family physician, whose duties and mode of work are shaped around hospital medicine. Much like the familiar role of the ER doctor, the hospitalist physician's work is organized around a site of care (the hospital), rather than an organ (like cardiology), a disease (like oncology), or a patient's age (like pediatrics).
According to Dr. Robert Harington, Chief Medical Officer for Locum Leaders and member of the Board of Directors for the Society of Hospital Medicine, hospitalist physicians have the inherent advantage of being quickly available, especially in hospitals that employ them 24/7, and can be called "personally to the bedside, allowing for a more complete, first-hand evaluation and better judgment in determining treatment."
Are Hospitalist Physician Jobs Becoming More Common?
Change doesn't come easily in the healthcare world, and hospital management is are constatntly challenged to account for new costs before initiating new programs.
Because of this, Dr. Harrington suggests that hospitals can help ease the transition by supplementing existing resources with "locum tenens", "the doctor equivalent of temporary staff: "Rather than hiring additional staff, look for a source of additional staffing such as a locum tenens firm or a community pool of physicians."
Do Hospitalist Physicians Have The Right Training?
If the idea of the hospitalist brings to mind a factory environment where expertise is considered a leassor priority, the reality is far from it. Hospital medicine doctor jobs have become well-developed, with both specialization and on-going training programs to make them the equal of any traditional physician.
A great number of American medical programs now offer residency programs specially for Hospital Medicine. Ongoing training is also available through professional societies. For example, the American College of Physicians offers an annual conference where hospital medicine doctors can enlist in a focused educational track, featuring over 40 sessions specific to hospital medicine.
For hospital medicine doctors who can't get their training in-person, Harvard offers a Hospital Medicine CME self-study program. The course are available in a variety of formats, including digital video and MP3s - perfect for hospitalist physicians who are short on time.
Hospitalist Physicians And Specialties
The role of the specialty hospitalist is also gaining momentum. Recently, The hospitalist reported the addition of the first otolaryngology hospital medicine doctor to the staff of the University of California at San Francisco's staff. These "hyphenated hospitalists," as Robert Wachter, MD calls them, are appearing across the nation.
Some of the more common specialty doctors that also wear a hospital medicine doctor hat include:
1) Neurohospitalist physician: Many hospitals, particularly those with dedicated stroke centers, are adding neurohospital medicine doctors to their staff to handle complex cases quickly.
2) Surgical hospitalist physician (a.k.a. Surgicalist): These hospitalists were brought in to solve for overcrowded ER departments. But the model took hold, and many facilities are adding this role as a part of their staff.
3) Dermatological hospital medicine doctor: This specialist role can be called upon for various cases spanning from adverse drug reactions to stem cell transplant complications.
As inpatient cases become more complex, hospitals around the United States are likely to add more "hyphenated hospitalists" in the near future.
Patients Get The Attention They Need
Patients will be the biggest winners, thanks to this trend. In fact, recent studies show improved patient satisfaction in hospitals that have embraced hospitalist programs. Advocates of these programs say hospital medicine doctors improve care delivery in a variety of ways:
1) Hospital medicine doctors are typically in the hospital around the clock. Because of this, they can be available to patients and their families - enabling them to receive the best information and attantion during their stay.
2) Hospitalist physicians are more familiar with the hospital facilities. They know every department and know the nurses and specialists, so they can closely monitor and supervise all aspects of the patient's stay, helping speed recovery.
3) Hospital medicine doctors actively communicate with a patient's PCP outside of the hospital, providing continuity and follow-up even after they leave the hospital.
Author Resource:
Go to LocumLeaders.com to learn more about hospitalist jobs for all 50 states, including Louisiana hospitalist jobs .
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