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As hospital medicine has grown, so too have the number of hospitalists who comanage surgical patients. This practice has continued, despite limited data to support widespread adoption.
Researchers analyzed medical records of 7596 patients who were admitted to the neurosurgical service of the University California, San Francisco Medical Center from 2005 through 2008. Hospitalist comanagement was implemented in mid-2007. No differences were found between the pre-comanagement period and the comanagement period in patient mortality, readmission, or length of stay; however, hospitalist comanagement was associated with cost savings of about US$1400 per hospitalization, and physician and staff perceptions of safety and quality of care were signific…