Background: The landmark article on “application of external cardiac massage” published in 1961 reported survival to discharge in 24% of patients sustaining cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) emerged as a strategy of care for “hearts too young to die,” with the goal being neurologic viability. Given the changes in prehospital care, improved outcomes, and mortality […]

Background: Congestive heart failure (CHF) can be a difficult diagnosis, requiring the physician to integrate a symptom complex with physical and x‐ray findings. The introduction of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) when used correctly has improved our ability to differentiate patients with dyspnea, but when used incorrectly may lead to mis‐classification. We tested the following hypotheses: […]

Background: Timely treatment of pain is a key measure of quality of pain control for hospitalized patients. However, this is usually measured by retrospective patient reports that may be inaccurate. The experience sampling method (ESM) provides real‐time assessments of experience at randomly selected times. ESM may provide more accurate data to understand the relationship between […]

Background: Acute appendicitis (AP) is the most common surgical emergency in childhood. Despite the disproportionate morbidity and length of stay of children with perforated AP, there have been no longitudinal national studies to date focusing on rates of perforation in children. Methods: The objective was to improve institutional outcomes and resource utilization in the care […]

Background: Asthma and bronchiolitis are the most frequent causes of hospital admissions among children in the United States. Pediatric hospitalists focusing on process improvement are well positioned to optimize resource utilization for common respiratory disorders. Methods: The objectives were: (1) to compare length of stay (LOS) and 30‐day emergency department (ED) return visits, readmission, and […]

Background: In 2010, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) announced recommendations that focus on enhancing on‐site house staff supervision. To meet these standards, many residency programs have looked to hospitalists to fill that need. We aim to describe academic hospitalists’ current overnight supervision of house staff and perceptions of the impact of ACGME […]

Background: Catheter‐associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is the most common health care–associated infection (HAI), accounting for more than 40% of all HAIs. Approximately 15% of patients admitted to acute care hospitals in the United States receive an indwelling urinary catheter during their hospital stay, many without an accepted indication. The Michigan Health and Hospital Association […]

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Only 10% of the hospitals in the United States have stroke centers certified by the Joint Commission. Many other hospitals lack the ability to give thrombolytics (tPA). A major barrier is the shortage of stroke specialists. This study reports on the first‐year experience with the […]

Background: The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) has made hand‐offs one of the core competencies of hospital medicine and released recommendations for hospitalist hand‐offs. To date, most hand‐off studies have focused on the sender. A recent study suggested that despite optimal conditions for senders, significant information is still lost, highlighting the need to examine the […]

Background: Acute care transitions are particularly difficult for patients experiencing homelessness, yet there are limited data from the perspective of this high‐risk population to guide hospital‐based interventions to improve the quality of discharge care specifically. Methods: To better understand the experience of discharge care among homeless patients, we formed a strategic partnership with an area […]