Background:

Nearly two thirds of U.S. hospitals are served by hospitalists who work under a variety of practice models. Differences in hospitalist practice patterns and satisfaction of individual hospitalists across these models are unknown.

Methods:

We surveyed a randomized stratified sample of 3105 potential hospitalists augmented by 662 hospitalist members of 3 multi‐state hospitalist companies. Details about respondents’ demographics and current practice model were assessed focusing on hospital and organizational characteristics, intensity and distribution of work, patient load, types of responsibilities, and compensation. Job and specialty satisfaction were measured using validated instruments. Pediatrician hospitalists were analyzed separately, and subanalyses comparing group leaders versus nonleaders and women versus men were performed.

Results:

We achieved an adjusted response rate of 25.6% from the sample. Hospitalists were distributed across 2 group‐type practices (12.4% local groups and 15.0% multistate group) and 3 employee‐type practices (14.9% multispecialty practice, 43.3% hospital, and 12.0% university or medical school). Significant differences across the practice models were seen in the number of work shifts per month, number of billable encounters per shift, hours of nonclinical work, and compensation. No differences in job or specialty satisfaction were detected in hospitalists across the practice models. A majority of hospitalists perform nonreimbursable activities such as coordination of patient transfers (92.0%) and quality improvement (84.7%). Compared with nonleaders, group leaders worked significantly more hours on nonclinical tasks per month (48.0 vs. 25.2, P < 0.001) but receive greater compensation. Compared with men, women earned a smaller income (P < 0.001) but worked fewer hours per month (153.0 vs. 164.3, P = 0.006) and saw fewer patients per shift (14.2 vs. 15.3, P = 0.017).

Conclusions:

Similar levels of satisfaction are reported by hospitalists across practice models despite significant differences in practice patterns and compensation. The hospital medicine specialty offers opportunities to group leaders and women who appear more satisfied with the specialty than their respective counterparts.

Disclosures:

K. Hinami ‐ Northwestern University, employee; C. T. Whelan ‐ Loyola University, employee; R. J. Wolosin ‐ Press Ganey Associates, employee; J. A. Miller ‐ Society of Hospital Medicine, employee; T. B. Wetterneck ‐ University of Wisconsin, employee