Characteristics and Work Experiences of Hospitalists in the United States

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Abstract
THE FIELD of hospital medicine continues to grow. It is estimated that there are approximately 4000 physicians practicing as hospitalists in the United States. Yet, little is known about the individuals who are hospitalists, and even less is known about the sociological aspects of the role. The only systematic data on hospitalists come from a survey conducted in 1997, which provided descriptive information about the demographic, clinical, and financial aspects of hospitalist work.1 These data showed that most hospitalists were general internists, at early stages in their medical careers, men, in the role for only a short time, compensated by salary, and employed by medical groups or hospitals. Almost all were satisfied with their current positions, and more than three quarters intended to be hospitalists 3 years into the future. It is useful to update some of these descriptive findings based on our 1999 findings, as 2 years is a significant length of time, given the growth and brief existence of this fledgling specialty movement. For example, it is estimated that the number of hospitalists in the United States has doubled since 1997. More important, however, is gaining a sense for the first time of how hospitalists are experiencing their everyday roles. These experiences are reflected through key work-related attitudes such as burnout and job satisfaction, as well as perceptions related to the more social, collegial, and professional aspects of hospital medicine. None of these attitudes, except job satisfaction, have been explored in the literature. Of secondary interest related to how the field is evolving is how individuals newer to the hospitalist role compare with more-veteran hospitalists. What are the similarities between these 2 groups? What are some key differences? The present study explores these issues in detail.