| It's an emerging trend, and one that many patients | | | | communication has not been good, the primary care |
| find confusing and uncomfortable: their primary | | | | physician often has little knowledge of what the |
| doctor doesn't visit them in the hospital any more | | | | patient experienced in the hospital. Records are |
| and doesn't manage their hospital care. | | | | frequently slow to follow the patient, so on the first |
| Primary care doctors are increasingly turning the care | | | | follow-up visit the office-based doctor may have |
| of their hospitalized patients over to specialists called | | | | scant information. |
| "hospitalists." | | | | Without adequate information the PCP frequently |
| The hospitalist is a hospital-based doctor who does | | | | makes adjustments to treatment plans and |
| not see patients in an office-based practice. He or | | | | medications that are counter to the treatment plans |
| she manages the care of patients only while they are | | | | initiated in the hospital. |
| in the hospital, turning them back over to their regular | | | | How To Work With A Hospitalist |
| physicians when they are discharged. During the time | | | | Be prepared. If your trip to the hospital is |
| a patient is in the hospital the hospitalist is responsible | | | | pre-planned, talk to your primary doctor about the |
| for all decisions about a patient's care. | | | | hospitalists in your chosen hospital. Find out which |
| Advantages of Hospitalists | | | | hospitalist communicates best with your doctor, and |
| The hospitalist usually knows the hospital, and hospital | | | | who your doctor prefers to work with. If possible, |
| politics, very well. This often enables the hospitalist to | | | | ask your doctor to pre-arrange that this hospitalist |
| cut through red tape and "make things happen" more | | | | will be in charge of your care while you're in the |
| efficiently than office-based physicians. | | | | hospital. |
| Hospitalists are more readily available to respond to | | | | Arrive Armed: Never assume that things will go as |
| emergencies in the hospital. Nurses and other care | | | | planned. You may not feel well, and you will be under |
| staff can usually reach a hospitalist more rapidly than | | | | stress. The chosen hospitalist may be on vacation, |
| an office-based physician, especially on evenings and | | | | out ill, or unavailable. Take a synopsis of your medical |
| weekends. | | | | history, including the results of all recent tests, with |
| Continuity of care within the hospital is often better. | | | | you to the hospital. Whenever possible have |
| When primary care physicians manage inpatient | | | | someone stay with you in the hospital until you have |
| hospital care, the patient is often actually seen by | | | | met your doctor and given him or her all the |
| more doctors, as doctors in larger practices often | | | | information you have. Have that person take notes, |
| take turns seeing all of the practice's hospitalized | | | | including the names of all your hospital caregivers, |
| patients. | | | | their contact information (phone and pager), and the |
| Hospitalists are usually more accessible to family | | | | location of their offices in the hospital. |
| members. Families don't have to try to "catch" the | | | | Sign a Release: If you can, make sure to sign a |
| doctor in the wee hours of the morning or late in the | | | | release of information form when you are admitted. |
| evening when he or she is making hospital rounds | | | | This will give the hospitalist and everyone else on |
| outside of office hours. | | | | your medical team permission to discuss your care |
| Disadvantages of Using a Hospitalist | | | | with the person you appoint. Even if you have |
| The biggest disadvantage to the movement toward | | | | already given that person your Power of Attorney |
| hospitalists is the loss of continuity of care between | | | | for Health Care, signing a permission to release |
| the primary physician and the hospital. The hospitalist | | | | information is a good idea. You might not be so ill |
| has no previous knowledge of his new patient. If | | | | that your Power of Attorney for Health Care goes |
| communication between the primary care physician | | | | into effect. In that case, without authority to release |
| and the hospitalist is poor, it falls to the patient and | | | | information, you might find the staff is less than |
| the family to fill in the gaps. | | | | willing to share information with the person staying |
| When a patient is discharged from the hospital the | | | | with you. |
| hospitalist relinquishes care back to the PCP. If | | | | |