As high workload and interruptions are known contributors to diagnostic errors, significant research has been conducted to understand and ameliorate the impact of these factors. This study examined the association between hospitalist busyness (i.e., number of admissions and pages), resource utilization, number of differential diagnoses, and the hospitalist's diagnostic confidence and subjective awareness. Increasing levels of busyness were associated with hospitalists reporting it was "difficult to focus on what is happening in the present" but had no effect on diagnostic confidence.

This article reports on the impact of an OB hospitalist program on serious safety events in one hospital over a two-year period. After program implementation, there was a significant reduction in serious safety events.

The number of hospitalists—physicians practicing exclusively in acute care settings—continues to grow. However, whether patient outcomes differ between hospitalists and general physicians remains unclear. This study examined medical record data from a single urban academic children's hospital to compare patient outcomes between general pediatricians and hospitalists. After adjustment for patient characteristics (e.g., age and number of chronic conditions) and for physician characteristics (e.g., number of years in practice), the investigators did not find differences in readmission rates, total costs, or lengths of stay. The hospitalists' patients had a greater risk for device-related adverse events, which was explained by differences in physician experience. The authors conclude that the safety of care delivered by general versus hospitalist pediatricians is similar. A related editorial predicts that the hospitalist model of pediatric acute care will continue to grow.

This analysis of Medicare data found that patients cared for by hospitalist physicians in their first year of practice have a slightly higher 30-day mortality risk than those treated by hospitalist physicians with more than one year of experience. The authors suggest that hospitalists in their first year in practice may require additional support in order to optimize patient outcomes.

Hospitalists have a key role in facilitating transitions and communication. This commentary discusses how hospitalists can prevent diagnostic errors and reviews opportunities for improvement, including encouraging patient involvement in their care and face-to-face team communication in difficult-to-diagnose cases.

Although interhospital transfers are considered risky, they are not well characterized. This analysis of inpatient records found that even after adjustment for illness severity and patient characteristics, transferred patients had a higher risk of death compared with patients admitted through the emergency department. This finding should prompt prospective study of transfers to elucidate and address safety vulnerabilities.

Clinician discontinuity is often cited as a potential patient safety issue. However, this study found that transfers of care between hospitalists did not appear to be associated with adverse events. The authors note that as hospital care is provided within teams, research should focus on the effects of team complexity and changes on patient safety.

This review of closed malpractice claims found that hospitalists are less likely to be subject to malpractice claims than other internal medicine physicians and specialists. These findings counter the concern that hospitalists raise liability risk due to discontinuity of care. A related editorial suggests that an emphasis on diagnostic safety and interprofessional communication would improve safety in acute care settings with hospitalists.

This review discusses how the obstetric-gynecologic hospitalist model can help reduce physician fatigue and delays in care.

A multifaceted patient safety program resulted in a sustained improvement in safety culture in an academic obstetrics unit. The program had previously been shown to reduce the incidence of preventable adverse events.

Nearly half of pediatric hospitalists in this survey reported conducting family-centered rounds—multidisciplinary rounds conducted at the bedside in the presence of the patient and family members. Among other benefits, family-centered rounds engage patients in patient safety.

This study reports on the development of a tool to assess the content and structure of handoff communications between emergency physicians and hospitalists. The authors found that the handoff communication was mostly "one-way," consisting primarily of information exchange without interactive questions and answers.