Background: Hospitalists nationwide are faced with complex patient and family behaviors that interfere with medical care. In the acute inpatient setting, few resources are available for physicians to address maladaptive behaviors and many physicians report significant discomfort managing these disruptive behaviors. We implemented a Nurse Practitioner-Led Psychiatric Consult Service to provide education and recommendations for [...]

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a diagnostic modality that can improve diagnosis, reduce cost, and increase patient satisfaction. POCUS is being increasingly utilized in internal medicine (IM), and IM residents desire training in POCUS. A such, residency programs across the country have implemented various strategies to teach POCUS, though the impact of these interventions is [...]

Background: Recently coined the “fifth pillar to the bedside physical exam” in a 2018 JAMA article, a growing number of physicians have started incorporating point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) into their clinical assessments. Many medical schools have already started to integrate POCUS into their educational curriculum. With the emergence of more affordable handheld solutions, practicing physicians and [...]

Background: Procedures, both inpatient and outpatient, are an essential part of the training for family medicine residents. Several residency programs struggle to provide the minimum number of procedures for residents to develop competency and comfort with the said procedures. Hospitalists do offer increased experience with procedures, although more recently, hospitalists are also referring most procedures [...]

Background: In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is an unpredictable, catastrophic event affecting approximately 200,000 US adults annually. Best outcomes during IHCA result from focused training and credentialing by AHA (ACLS, BLS). Although hospitalists supervise IHCA, best practices for resuscitation skills, preparedness, plus overall approach remain undefined. Methods: We developed an online survey of IHCA resuscitation responsibilities [...]

Background: Imagine opening your patients’ electronic medical record (EMR) and seeing their stories, as told by them. Would that help you understand your patients better, both their resilience and the barriers they have faced? Systemic structures of oppression and health provider unconscious bias are root causes of racial, gender and class-based health disparities. Storytelling is [...]

Background: Totally implantable venous access ports (“ports”) are a cornerstone of the treatment and survival of highly vulnerable patients, particularly those requiring chemotherapy for cancer. Because they are a lifeline for such patients, the ability to use ports for indications other than their primary use (e.g., chemotherapy) is often restricted. We sought to describe current [...]