Reports From the Field: New study: Hospitalists help reduce costs, LOS
A new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association contends that the use of hospitalists in acute care facilities helps "improve inpatient efficiency without harmful effects on quality or patient satisfaction."1
The report examined data from studies conducted between 1996 and September 2001 that compared hospitalist care with a control group in terms of resource use and other factors. According to the report, "most studies found that implementation of hospitalist programs were associated with significant reductions in resource use, usually measured as hospital costs (average decrease, 13.4%) or average length of stay (average decrease 16.6%)." Some of the studies also found improved clinical outcomes as well, but the researchers noted that "these results were inconsistent."
Reference
Wachter RM, Goldman L, The hospitalist movement 5 years later. JAMA, 2002; 287:487-494.
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