Background: Since the introduction of the hospitalist system in Korea, their role and responsibilities have grown significantly. However, the current status and impact of Korean hospitalists on job satisfaction are poorly studied. We aimed to investigate the present state of Korean hospitalists and their influence on job satisfaction, six years after the pilot program’s launch.
Methods: We conducted an email survey among 303 physicians affiliated with the program in January 2021, two years after the hospitalist program’ launch in Korea. The survey encompassed participant demographics, hospital information, education, clinical practice, research involvement, job satisfaction, and post-tax income.
Results: The analysis was based on 79 hospitalists’ responses (response rate: 26%). Respondents had a median age of 39 years; approximately half were male internal medicine specialists, possessing over three years of hospitalist experience. Most respondents were interested in clinical work (94.4%), with only 21.5% interested in research and evidence-based medicine. Over two-thirds indicated that non-clinical duties occupied less than 20% of their time. Overall, job satisfaction among hospitalists averaged 51.9%. Notably, the availability of a research mentor was significantly associated with job satisfaction (P = .011). While hospitalists with more than three years of experience, more hospitalists per facility, and autonomy were associated with increased job satisfaction, these associations were not statistically significant. Furthermore, there was no association between night shift work, work type, or work hours and job satisfaction.
Conclusions: Although Korean hospitalists primarily focus on clinical practice, our study underscores the positive impact of mentorship from research mentors on job satisfaction, supported by comprehensive univariate and multivariate analyses. These findings signal a progressive transformation in the role of Korean hospitalists, as they increasingly engage in research alongside patient care.
