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Past studies (with substantial methodological limitations) have suggested that critical care physician (intensivist) management can lead to better clinical outcomes. To examine this hypothesis, researchers evaluated more than 100,000 patient records from 123 intensive care units at 100 hospitals. Critical care physicians were defined as those who were recognized as such by their institutions, whether or not they were board-certified or fellowship-trained in critical care; they had responsibility for overall patient management. In most units, the choice of whether to involve an intensivist was left to each patient’s admitting physician.
Patients who were managed by intensivists were more severely ill and underwent more procedures. In an effor…