Comparison of Hospitalist Programs in the U.S. and Canada

The practice of hospital medicine in North America has grown dramatically during the past 10 to 15 years. To improve care and gain insight into the evolution of the specialty, leaders and practicing clinicians in the U.S. and Canada should evaluate parallel practices in the two countries.

Researchers performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from two surveys of hospitalists, one conducted by the U.S. Society of Hospital Medicine and one conducted by the Hospitalist Sections of the Canadian Provincial Medical Association. The similarity of questions on both surveys allowed comparison of hospitalists and the practice of hospital medicine in the two countries.

Significantly more U.S. hospitalists than Canadian hospitalists perform consultatio…