What's your opinion of hospitalists? They're being commonly used in US hospitals now.
In the past you went to a hospital because your primary care doctor or some other doctor who already knew you put you there, or you'd been to the ER and ended up there, and at that point your primary care doctor was notified and was supposed to visit you at the hospital during rounds.
Now you go to a hospital and a hospitalist, who works at that hospital only, is assigned to you. The hospitalist is supposed to be in contact with your regular doctor(s) and have access to your medical records.
The hospitalist assigned to you might change if you're in the hospital for a week or more because they are rotated. Any new hospitalist who comes along is supposed to be in touch with your regular doc and be aware of your medical history.
I understand that this system works well, and I can see why hospitals might opt for hospitalists instead of an influx of doctors from all over who breeze in and out.
Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with hospitals using hospitalists. What has your impression been?
I have problems with introducing a whole new person at a point where the patient may need urgent attention. It just seems as if someone who already knows the patient would be easier on all concerned. A person scrolling through a patient's medical record and probably in a hurry might miss something important, something that a patient's regular doctor would have a clear memory of.