With advancement in the field of medicine, especially in our knowledge of diseases and the use of newer modalities of treatment, medical specialties keep multiplying.

This situation has led to the training of doctors who specialize in specific organ systems (for example, cardiology) or even smaller sub-specializations (such as electro-physiologists among cardiologists). It therefore becomes essential to have someone who can incorporate this profusion of specializations and sub-specializations into a productive whole.

Enter the hospitalist – a physician who, with his broad understanding of a patient’s illness, integrates all the suggestions and advice of the specialist doctors and then tailors the investigations and treatment plan according to the individual needs of that particular patient.

Hospitalist jobs in health care are many starting right from the Emergency Room. In fact, this is an area of the hospital that particularly benefits from such physician hospitalists. The patients in this area are best served by a doctor whose knowledge is broader than deeper. This is because in such situations, it is essential to have a clear idea of what the major issues are rather than in-depth information of a particular issue and ignorance of other issues. This will ensure that not much time is wasted in finding out the various issues involved and assigning priority to them.

Once such a patient has an initial diagnosis and a management plan, he could be either admitted in the ward or in some cases, shifted to the ICU. In both instances, a hospitalist physician will ensure continuity of care and if necessary, take the opinion of a specialist and integrate his advice in the management plan. Sometimes different specialists will suggest differing and occasionally opposing management strategies. In these instances, the onus is on the hospitalist physician to discuss the various options with the patient and help him choose the most appropriate one for him. This process will keep getting repeated till discharge.

To conclude, hospitalist physicians are an integral part of any comprehensive patient management program, and are vital for the success of a hospital’s health care plans. Hospital management professionals devote quite an amount of effort in physician recruitment processes to ensure that only adequately qualified and duly licensed physicians are employed as hospitalists. Other key criteria for hospitalist jobs include a sound sense of order of priority and the ability to listen and communicate with tact and sensitivity.