Journal of hospital medicine : an official publication of the Society of Hospital Medicine
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Infectious diseases are commonly encountered by hospitalists in their day-to-day care of patients. Challenges involved in caring for patients with infectious diseases include choosing the correct antibiotic, treating patients with a penicillin allergy, interpreting blood cultures, and caring for patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The evidence-based pearls in this article will help hospitalists avoid common pitfalls in the recognition and treatment of such disorders and guide their decision about when to consult an infectious diseases specialist.
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Editorial
Hospitalists and intensivists: partners in caring for the critically ill--the time has come.
A report by the Committee on Manpower for Pulmonary and Critical Care Societies (COMPACCS), published in 2000, predicted that beginning in 2007 a gap between the demand and availability of intensivists in the United States would become apparent and steadily increase to 22% by 2020 and to 35% by 2030. Subsequent reports have reiterated those projections including a report to congress in 2006 by the U. S. ⋯ Since the initial COMPACCS report and since these 2 additional reports were published, a new opportunity to take a major step in resolving this crisis has emerged: the growing number of hospitalists providing critical care services at secondary and tertiary care facilities. According to the 2005/2006 Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) National Survey, that number has increased to 75%. Since the number of intensivists is unlikely to change significantly over the next 25 years, the question is no longer "if" hospitalists should be in the intensive care unit (ICU); rather the question is how to assure quality and improved clinical outcomes through enhanced collaboration between hospital medicine and critical care medicine.
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There is concern in the US about the burden and potential ramifications of dissatisfaction among physicians. The purpose of this article is to systematically review the literature on US physician satisfaction. ⋯ The majority of factors associated with satisfaction are modifiable. Tangible recommendations for measuring and diminishing dissatisfaction are given.
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Little data exist to inform hospitalist communication during service changes. ⋯ Incomplete handoffs during service changes are associated with uncertainty and potential patient harm. Suggestions to improve the completeness of hospitalist service change communications are offered.