Comparison of hospital costs and length of stay associated with general internists and hospitalist physicians at a community hospital.
OBJECTIVE
To compare initial and long-term hospital resource utilization of hospitalists and general internists at an urban community hospital.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort analysis.


METHODS
Data were collected from 11 750 admissions associated with 28 diagnosis-related groups for 6 years (October 1, 1994, to September 30, 2000). Hospital cost, length of stay, mortality, and 30-day readmission rates of general and hospitalist internists were analyzed for comparison.


RESULTS
Hospitalists had generally lower utilization compared with general internists. Overall, length of stay and hospital cost were 16.1% and 8.3% lower, respectively, for hospitalists. Hospital mortality and 30-day readmissions were similar for both physician groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Hospital resource utilization is moderately lower for hospitalists compared with private practicing general internists.
Everett
George D
GD
Department of Internal Medicine, Orlando Regional Healthcare, Orlando, FL 32806, USA. georgee@orhs.org
Anton
Manuel P
MP
Jackson
Brenda K
BK
Swigert
Carolyn
C
Uddin
Nizam
N
D015331:Cohort Studies; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D005260:Female; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017721:Hospital Costs; D020445:Hospitalists; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce