The value of a hospitalist service - Efficient care for the aging population?

Background: We studied patients of a hospitalist teaching service and patie nts receiving routine private care (control subjects). We sought to evaluat e whether inpatients cared for by an academic hospitaIist service had lower lengths of stay and resource utilization rates. Methods: Using monthly hospital census data, 477 hospitalist cases and 1,16 0 control cases were selected by explicit criteria from the Medicaid popula tion of a large, university-affiliated, community medical center between Ju ly 1, 1996, and June 30, 1997. Outcomes in hospitalist faculty patients wer e compared to those of control patients under the care of private providers . Results: Median length of stay was 4 days for control subjects and 3 days f or the hospitalist service (p < 0.0001). Median total cost per case was $4, 853 for control subjects and $4,002 for hospitalist patients (p < 0.0001). Only patients greater than or equal to 65 years old showed statistically si gnificant reductions in both length of stay (p < 0.0001) and total cost (p = 0.002). Subspecialty consultation rates were 37.6% for control subjects a nd 16.6% for hospitalist cases (p < 0.0001). We noted increasing consultati ons for patients greater than or equal to 65 years old, especially in the c ontrol group (p = 0.001). No significant differences in mortality, 30-day r eadmissions, or interfacility transfers were observed. Conclusions: Patients cared for by an academic hospitalist service that inc ludes actively participating medical residents appear to have lower lengths of stay, total costs, and consultation rates than patients receiving routi ne private care. The reductions are largely observed among patients greater than or equal to 65 years old.