Hospitalists are highly qualified physicians specializing in Internal Medicine. They have dedicated their experience and expertise to hospital medicine, which places them in a unique position to care for acutely-ill hospitalized patients. They are responsible for your care for the duration of your stay in the hospital—this can include identifying and communicating with other specialists to ensure you get the care you need. Hospitalists can also help you and your family better understand your illness, treatment options, and recovery.
Hospitalists serve as a liaison between you and your primary care physician—depending on your condition, your hospitalist and primary care physician may stay in contact to determine your treatment and progress while you are hospitalized.
A member of the hospitalist team is available 24 hours, seven days a week to address any acute medical issues in the hospital. Above that, their daily duties are to perform patient rounds, monitor progress, review test results, and address treatment changes as necessary.
As the name suggests, hospitalists only work with you while you are hospitalized. After hospital discharge, you will return to the care of your primary care physician who would be informed about clinical details about your hospital stay. The aim is to decrease an interruption in your recovery.