Invited article: is it time for neurohospitalists?

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Healthcare Management
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The healthcare system has seen significant growth in hospital-based physicians (hospitalists).
• This trend is driven by the need for timely, cost-effective, high-quality inpatient care.
• A gap between inpatient and outpatient care also contributes to this growth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the role of a neurohospitalist.
• To estimate the number of neurohospitalists in the U.S.
• To explore the advantages, challenges, and clinical outcome effects of neurohospitalists.

Main Methods:

• Searched biomedical databases (e.g., PubMed) using terms like "hospitalist" and "neurohospitalist."
• Examined job advertisements on professional society websites (Society of Hospital Medicine, American Academy of Neurology).

Main Results:

• Defined neurohospitalists as neurologists spending at least 25% of their time on inpatient neurological care.
• While hospitalist numbers have risen, specific data on neurohospitalists remain limited.
• Advertisements for neurohospitalist positions increased between 2003-2007, but growth assessment is hindered by a lack of central data and consistent terminology.

Conclusions:

• Neurohospitalists are expected to increase due to healthcare pressures similar to those driving growth in other hospitalist fields.
• This specialty offers efficient, cost-effective inpatient care, potentially reducing hospitalization length.
• Growth is anticipated in settings with adequate patient volume and resources.