Hospitalist may be an unfamiliar word to you, but these doctors who specialize in caring for patients during their hospital stays are increasingly delivering inpatient care across the United States. The specialty has been around for more than a decade, but the number of hospitalists has surged only recently, from a few hundred in 1997 to nearly 20,000 today,* as more and more hospitals recognize their value.

Here for You
Unlike primary care physicians who must juggle their private practices with daily visits to hospital patients, hospitalists are in the hospital full time. A hospitalist regularly communicates with patients' primary care physicians, but is able to make quick, real-time decisions about patient care and spend more time with patients. Other benefits of hospitalist care include:

• An in-depth familiarity with hospital procedures and environments, which can improve efficiency.
• Fewer delays and potentially better outcomes due to faster decision-making and response times.
• Shorter hospital stays. One study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that hospitalist care helped reduce average hospital stays by 12 percent (or a half day off of the average four-day hospital stay).**
• Improved availability and productivity for primary care physicians during their office hours.

A team of 10 hospitalists care for many of the inpatients at Alamance Regional. Some primary care physicians in the community prefer to devote their time to office care and request hospitalists to provide care for patients who are admitted to the hospital. In addition, patients who do not have a primary care physician will receive care from a hospitalist.

What to Expect
The hospitalists at Alamance Regional specialize in internal medicine and their participation in your care begins with your consent and a referral from your primary care physician. Hospitalists can order tests, consult with specialists, check lab results and visit patients, all while conferring with your primary care doctor.

Studies have shown that the improved efficiencies resulting from hospitalist care provide quality care. But good communication is especially important. Your relationship with the hospitalist ends when you're discharged, so it's up to you and your usual doctor to follow through with the hospitalists' discharge orders and recommendations. If you have questions, be sure to ask before leaving the hospital.

* Source: The Society of Hospital Medicine, www.hospitalmedicine.org.
** Source: New England Journal of Medicine, Dec. 20, 2007.

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