Hospitalists and Their Impact on Quality, Patient Safety, and Satisfaction

The forces promoting the hospitalist model arose from the need for high-value care; therefore, improving quality and cost has been part of the hospitalist formula for success. The factors driving the rapid growth of generalist and subspecialty hospitalists include nationally mandated quality and safety measures, increasing age and complexity of the hospitalized patient, reduced residency duty hours, increased economic pressures to contain costs and reduce length of stay, and also primary care physicians, and specialists, relinquishing hospital privileges to focus on outpatient practices. Hospitalists are playing key roles in patient safety and quality as either leaders or practitioners in the field.