Scientific Publications Database

Article Title: The Influence of Hospitalist Continuity on the Likelihood of Patient Discharge in General Medicine Patients
Authors: van Walraven, Carl
Journal: JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL MEDICINE Volume 13 Issue 10
Date of Publication:2018
Abstract:
Hospitalists responsible for specific inpatients may change during their hospitalization. To measure the association of hospitalist continuity with the adjusted daily discharge probability, 6,405 admissions (38,967 patient-days, 5,208 patients) to a general medicine service at a tertiary care teaching hospital in 2015 were investigated. Continuity was measured as the consecutive number of days - including weekends - a hospitalist treated a particular team of patients. After accounting for important covariables, discharge probability increased significantly with hospitalist continuity; the adjusted daily discharge probabilities for an average patient with a new physician vs. one on service for four continuous weeks were 18.1% and 25.7%, respectively (P < .001). Hospitalist continuity did not influence hospital mortality. Increasing hospitalist continuity could decrease hospital length of stay. (C) 2018 Society of Hospital Medicine.