Hospitalists and ER physicians work under the same roof.
Hospitalists and ER physicians are qualified medical professionals. They do not work together, but share a similar history. Before the advent of hospitalist positions, ER workers tended to patients around the hospital when the emergency department was clear of patients.
Hospitalists
Hospitalists work with primary care physicians to learn about individual patient cases. They are also responsible for ordering tests, answering questions and reviewing all test results with patients. Hospitalists are on call 24 hours a day to assist with patient care.
Emergency Room Physicians
Emergency room physicians take care of critical patients who need immediate care. ER doctors specialize in trauma treatment and advanced cardiac care. ER doctors are available 24 hours a day in most hospitals.
Differences
Because both positions assist in other parts of the hospital during down time, there is some tension between hospitalists and ER doctors. Most of this conflict is due to hospitalists tending to their patients when more assistance is needed in the emergency department. Both positions are fairly new in the medical industry and need time to work out a differences to achieve a successful balance.
Tags: care doctors, emergency department, Hospitalists physicians, patients Hospitalists