Hospitalists Zero in on Inpatient Care, to Applause From Patients and Payors

New Practice Area Enjoying Steady Growth as Numbers Prove Its Worth. By Bonnie Darves. Since Humana, Inc., began experimenting with using hospital-based internists to manage the care of inpatients in San Antonio, Texas, in 1994, the concept has paid off in more ways than anticipated. Not only is care more efficient and utilization lower, but patients are happier, too, company officials say. . It seems that payors are finally discovering what these physicians, or "hospitalists" as they frequently are called, have claimed all along: Doctors who work exclusively in the hospital setting are likely to provide better, and more cost-effective, inpatient care than doctors trying to juggle office practices and hospital schedules. . Because this trend is relatively new to the United Statesthough prevalent in Canada and Europe for decadesthere are no hard and fast numbers on how many physicians are currently in the profession. But with Humana wooing potential hospitalists with compensation packages in excess of $200,000, and leaders of the movement reporting a tremendous jump in interest from both physicians and payors, it's clearly a trend that's going to continue growing.. Meeting the Demand: Profile of a Growing ...

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