The Society of Hospital Medicine published its 2014 State of Hospital Medicine Report last week, suggesting the need for various hospitalists — including family medicine physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants — continues to grow.
Hospitals and health systems have risen to the occasion, however, by hiring more of the much-needed hospitalists in the following positions:
- Over half (65.5 percent) of hospital medicine groups employ NPs or PAs, up from 53.9 percent in 2012.
- Nearly 60 percent of hospital medicine groups serving adults had at least one physician trained in family medicine now, up 14.7 percent from 2012.
- More than 8 in 10 adult hospital medicine groups now report using a nocturnist — hospitalists specializing in caring for patients during the night — in their practice, compared to just over half in 2012
The data in the biannual SHM report are based on nearly 500 responses from hospital medicine groups representing more than 6,000 hospitalists.