Journal of hospital medicine : an official publication of the Society of Hospital Medicine
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Different hospitalist staffing models provide different levels of inpatient continuity of care, which may impact length of stay (LOS). ⋯ As FOC increased for pneumonia and heart failure, the LOS increased significantly. Methods to reduce fragmentation should be explored, while more research is needed to identify the source of the relationship between FOC and LOS.
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Pneumonia is a leading cause of hospitalization and death in the elderly, and remains the subject of both local and national quality improvement efforts. ⋯ Risk-standardized 30-day mortality and, to a lesser extent, readmission rates for patients with pneumonia vary substantially across hospitals and regions and may present opportunities for quality improvement, especially at low performing institutions and areas.
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Handoffs of patient care are increasingly common and are known to contribute to medical errors. A significant number, if not the large majority, of first-year Internal Medicine residents have not received formal education pertaining to handoffs during medical school. ⋯ Formal education on handoffs is well received by medical students and improves their self-perceived understanding and performance of handoffs.