The debate between hospitalists and internists has been ongoing for years, and with the ever-changing healthcare landscape, it’s important to understand the differences between these two specialties. Hospitalists are medical doctors who specialize in the care of hospitalized patients while internists are doctors who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of adult diseases. Both specialties provide essential services and have grown in popularity over the past decade. While both hospitalists and internists provide valuable services to patients, there are a few key distinctions to consider. In this blog post, we’ll explore the differences between hospitalists and internists in order to better understand how they can work together to improve patient care.
What is an internist?
A physician who focuses on internal medicine, or the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of internal diseases, is known as an internist. Internal medicine is a common area of specialization for hospitalists, but internists’ roles are distinct from those of hospitalists. Internists treat patients in outpatient settings, such as doctor’s offices, despite the fact that they may perform similar tasks. When necessary, they may also visit their patients in the hospital, but the majority of their work is done in a private practice. Types of medical conditions internists diagnose, treat and monitor include:
With their patients, internists frequently form lasting relationships; some even care for them throughout the entirety of their adult lives. Before, during, and after a patient enters a hospital as an inpatient, they provide ongoing patient care. After being discharged from the hospital, patients who see internists visit them for follow-up care, and their internist works with them to create a care plan based on newly diagnosed conditions and other changes to their health.
What is a hospitalist?
A hospitalist is a physician who treats hospital patients. Depending on their area of expertise, they offer different services and treatments. Anyone who works exclusively in a hospital setting rather than running a separate practice is considered a hospitalist. Internal medicine is the primary area of focus for hospitalists, but they also work in the following fields:
Hospitalists treat patients who are admitted to the hospital as inpatients, whereas emergency room physicians treat patients who require immediate medical attention. A hospitalist can decide on treatment plans by requesting diagnostic tests, writing prescriptions, and keeping track of patient health. Sometimes a patient’s own physician will treat them while they are in the hospital. Hospitalists provide care while private practitioners treat patients in their offices instead, as they also have patients to see there.
Differences between a hospitalist vs. an internist
Hospitalists and internists have many things in common, but they also differ significantly. If you’re thinking about a career as an internist or hospitalist, examining these differences can help you picture both roles and select the one that best suits your objectives and preferences. The main distinctions between an internist and a hospitalist are as follows:
Primary job duties
A hospitalist’s primary responsibilities are determined by their specialty. An internal medicine hospitalist, for instance, diagnoses and treats a variety of conditions based on the patients’ needs while an obstetric hospitalist provides care for expectant mothers. Internal medicine hospitalists and internists both focus on the same branch of medicine, but internists give ongoing care to patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings while hospitalists treat them on an as-needed basis. When a patient’s internist is taking care of outpatient issues or if the patient has not yet selected an internist, hospitalists play a crucial role in providing important patient care.
Average salaries
Work schedules
Depending on the size of the hospitals they work in and the number of patients they see each day, hospitalists typically have flexible schedules. Many hospitalists work weekends, evening or overnight shifts, and holidays because hospitals are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their schedule might vary from week to week depending on the number of patients at the hospital or they might have set days off. Compared to hospitalists, internists typically work a more consistent schedule as private practitioners, taking the weekends, evenings, and holidays off. Nevertheless, some internists see patients in hospitals after hours.
Working environments
Hospitalists only care for patients in inpatient settings because they only practice in hospitals. While they may have some repeat patients, they treat the majority of patients for a brief period of time and deal with the immediate problems that brought the patient to the hospital. Hospitalists consult the patient’s medical records to decide on the best course of treatment, and they then refer the patient to an internist when the patient is released to continue receiving care. Internists typically treat patients in outpatient settings, such as doctor’s offices, but they occasionally see their regular patients in hospitals to administer care.
Patient demographics
All genders are treated by hospitalists and internists, but the ages of their patients can differ. Internists only treat adult patients. Young adults who reach the pediatrician’s age limit can start seeing internists for general medical care and stick with the same physician throughout their entire adult lives. Only adult patients are treated by hospitalists who specialize in internal medicine, whereas those who practice in other fields of medicine see patients of various ages. For instance, a pediatric hospitalist only cares for patients who are younger than 18 years old.
Treatment goals
Although hospitalists perform many of the same tasks and possess many of the same skills as internists, the care dynamic in a hospital is different from that of a doctor’s office. Every day, hospitalists encounter new patients with various concerns, some of which are uncommon or unanticipated and require quick and accurate treatment. Their objective is to maintain and improve the health of a hospital or hospital department as a whole. Internists examine regular patients’ extensive medical histories in greater detail. Their objective is to choose more individualized care and treatment options.
HOSPITALIST VS INTERNIST | Similarities & Differences – Dr. Eva B
FAQ
Can an internist be a hospitalist?
Internists practicing hospital medicine are frequently called “hospitalists. The nature of internal medicine training specifically prepares internists for hospital medicine practice, even though internists are not required to be hospitalists.
What is the difference between a hospitalist and a doctor?
A hospitalist is a physician who treats patients in a hospital. Despite specializing in hospital care, they have the same education and training as your primary care physician. They might also be trained in family medicine, internal medicine, or pediatric (child-centered) medicine.
Are hospitalists real doctors?
Hospitalists are described by the American Board of Physician Specialists as “… physicians who have dedicated their careers to hospitalized patients.” In a nutshell, hospitalists are medical specialists who typically complete a residency in internal medicine and hold a hospital medicine certification.
