Medical Staff

Hospitalist-intensivist collaborate for critically ill patients

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, January 19, 2010

Hospitalist-intensivist collaboration will continue to grow in caring for critically ill patients, according to a new article, “Hospitalists and intensivists: Partners in caring for the critically ill – The time has come,” published in the January issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine.

According to the article, the limited availability yet growing need for intensivists will create a shortfall of 22% by the year 2020, according to a report by the Committee on Manpower for Pulmonary and Critical Care Societies.

Therefore, hospitalists are serving as critical care consultants and co-managing patients with intensivists.  

The article recommends the following:

  • The creation of standard protocols for intensive care treatment
  • Governing bodies implement a process for physician certification to provide critical care services
  • Further ICU research

“Since the number of intensivists is unlikely to change significantly over the next 25 years, the question is no longer “if” hospitalists should be in the ICU; rather the question is how to assure quality and improved clinical outcomes through enhanced collaboration between hospital medicine and critical care medicine,” states the article.

Most Popular

Related Articles