Surgical comanagement by hospitalists improves outcomes

Editor's Note

A surgical comanagement hospitalist program reduced complications, length of stay, 30-day readmissions, number of consultants, and cost of care in this study.

There was no significant changed in patient satisfaction and the average savings was $2,642 to $4,303 per patient.

This retrospective study by researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, included 16, 930 patients and a control group of 3,695 patients admitted for orthopedic surgery or neurosurgery.

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the impact of a surgical comanagement (SCM) hospitalist program on patient outcomes at an academic institution. Background: Prior studies may have underestimated the impact of SCM due to methodological shortcomings. Methods: This is a retrospective study utilizing a propensity score-weighted intervention (n = 16,930) and control group (n = 3695).