To many people, the term “hospitalist” is still relatively new. For the average patient, a doctor is a doctor, and they might specialize in something like cardiology or pediatrics. But the truth is, many people who have had inpatient care over the past decade have actually been seen by a hospitalist. So what exactly is this specialty and what do these doctors do?

Hospitalists began to emerge in the mid-90s as the need arose for a doctor that specialized in just hospital care. More and more physicians were starting to prefer private practice and outpatient care over being on call, which left hospitals understaffed. Increasing regulations placed on hospital doctors, such as managing length of stay and readmission rates, compounded the need for physicians who specialize in this type of care. Some compare a hospitalist to a primary care physician in that they specialize in care for the whole patient. The big difference is that a hospitalist only provides this care while the patient is hospitalized.

The majority of hospitalists specialize in internal medicine, but over the years it has grown to include a wide variety of other specialties as well. These are the physicians that you see after you are admitted to the hospital from an ER visit. Perhaps you came in for stomach pain and are being admitted for surgery in a few days. The hospitalist is who will oversee your care in the days leading up to surgery.

According to AHA data, this speciality has grown significantly since the 90s to include over 50,000 physicians. It is estimated that around 3 in 4 hospitals currently have hospitalists on staff, and that growth is not projected to slow down. At the present time, the only thing limiting the growth of this field is a lack of supply of doctors choosing this specialty.

This rapid growth is mostly due to the benefits that both hospitals and patients see when adding hospitalists to staff. Studies have shown that having hospitalists on staff can reduce costs and shorten the average length of stay for patients. Having physicians who specialize in this environment also increases patient satisfaction. Even moreso, increases have been shown in patient care and as a result the rates of readmission decrease.

The ability for facilities to hire a physician who specializes in providing care within the structure of a hospital is proving to be invaluable, even if this specialty is still relatively new. Projections expect the field to continue growing at a rapid rate to where over the next decade the term will be a recognizable specialty, even to the average patient.