hospitalist

A hospitalist is a physician whose primary professional focus is the general medical care of hospitalized patients. The term typically refers to internists or pediatricians who practice mainly in a hospital setting, though some family medicine physicians also work as hospitalists. Hospitalists coordinate inpatient care, with responsibility for both admissions and discharges, and they often oversee the overall care plan during a patient’s stay. The model emphasizes hospital-based management rather than outpatient care.

Hospitalists' duties include daily rounds to assess progress, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, developing treatment plans, and coordinating with specialists, nurses, social workers, and case managers. They lead discharge planning, communicate with patients and families, and work to ensure smooth transitions of care to primary care providers or specialists. In addition to medical management, hospitalists may participate in quality improvement initiatives, patient safety efforts, and the implementation of evidence-based protocols. They may perform selected procedures within their hospital’s scope and adjust care as patient conditions evolve.

Training for hospitalists generally involves completing a residency in internal medicine, pediatrics, or family medicine, followed by focused experience or a formal hospital medicine fellowship in some cases. Work patterns often include shift-based schedules or dedicated inpatient teams intended to provide 24/7 coverage and reduce cross-coverage demands on outpatient practices. Hospitalists frequently collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and may work within hospitalist services organized around general medicine, critical care, or subspecialty units.

The hospitalist model has spread beyond the United States, with varying structures and roles in different health systems. Evidence on outcomes is mixed; some studies report shorter hospital stays, improved care coordination, and cost containment, while others note challenges such as operational complexity and risk of handoff-related communication gaps.