Pediatric Hospitalists: Fill Varied Roles in the Care of Newborns

The use of hospitalists in the care of newborns appears to be increasing and may be advantageous for several reasons, including decreased cost, decreased length of stay, increased patient survival, increased availability, and greater experience among hospitalists. Research specific to the use of hospitalists in newborn medicine needs to be done to support this hypothesis. Non-clinical activities such as teaching, developing clinical guidelines, and taking an active role in hospital and academic leadership also may improve education and patient care. It is essential that hospitalists who provide care in nurseries work to smooth the transition to a PCP and not act as a barrier. Relatively speaking, the care provided by hospitalists is most often short-term, and the relationship between infants and their parents with the PCP should begin as soon as possible.