Background: The discharge summary is critical to safe transitions from the inpatient to the outpatient setting. However, there are few educational models on how best to teach those on the house staff, who write most discharge summaries in academic medical centers, to write concise yet complete discharge summaries. Purpose: The goals of the study were […]

Background: Rapid‐response teams (RRTs) are a patient safety intervention designed to identify, diagnose, and treat hospitalized patients who are clinically deteriorating outside an intensive care unit (ICU). The ability to implement and sustain a successful RRT depends on the availability and expertise of the team members. Critical care nurses are integral members of all RRTs, […]

Background: To comply with the 80‐hour workweek restrictions in 2004, the OB‐GYN department at a teaching hospital turned over the routine circumcision program to the pediatric hospitalist group. Taking over the program required a dedicated training program at no additional cost. Purpose: The goal of the study was to examine the income associated with having […]

Background: Communication failures pose a significant and ongoing threat to patient safety. The current modes of training in educational silos foster poor teamwork and lack a shared model for high‐quality patient care. A growing emphasis on teaching system‐based practice, including teamwork and communication, to current and future providers is essential but remains challenging. Purpose: We […]

Background: Administration of the pneumococcal vaccine to inpatients more than 65 years old with community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a measure of hospital quality according to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and CMS. Hospitalists caring for patients with CAP are under increasing pressure (internal, external, and financial) to increase vaccination rates. The most […]

Background: Multiple barriers exist to improving patient safety during regular rounds on an internal medicine inpatient unit: lack of standardization, limited time because of high patient turnover, and reduced communication with all members of the health care team. Studies suggest that adverse drug reactions, poor lab results follow‐up, and miscommunication increase the probability of patient […]

Background: The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services established compliance program guidelines for individual and small‐group physician practices and for hospitals. Although having a formal compliance plan was labeled “voluntary,” not having one increases a practice's vulnerability to fines and penalties as a consequence of federal billing audits, […]

Case Presentation: A 41‐year‐old Indian man vacationing in the United States presented with a 2‐day history of vomiting and lightheadedness. He had been vomiting at least 6 times a day and felt extremely thirsty. Review of systems was significant for anorexia and fatigue for a month and no recent cough. Physical examination revealed he was […]

Case Presentation: A previously healthy 18‐year old man initially presented to his outpatient physician with fevers and a cough. After 1 week of telithromycin, he developed a sore throat, nausea, and recurrent high fevers. His exam was notable for hypoxemia, tachycardia, and diffuse rhonchi. Chest x‐ray showed bilateral infiltrates. He was admitted to an outside […]

Case Presentation: A 64‐year‐old man with a medical history of hypertension and smoking presented to the emergency department (ED) with an acutely swollen and painful left eye, along with a 2‐week history of fevers, chills, and malaise. He was treated as an outpatient for iritis. After 2 additional weeks with similar symptoms and a cough, […]