Background: Assessing severity of illness using available electronic medical record (EMR) data on admission and predicting inpatient mortality is very challenging. Lacking standardized practices around end of life issues, hospitalists use their clinical judgment in making these crucial decisions. Prolonged discussions may be needed in medically complex patients to direct an optimal plan of care [...]

Background: Research suggests that ambulation in hospital settings can help prevent functional decline in patients. Early ambulation also contributes to better patient outcomes and decreased length of stay. The purpose of this study is to investigate patient perspectives to learn about factors that influence early ambulation and recommended amount of ambulation while in the hospital. [...]

Background: Family members and caregivers serve valuable roles at the hospitalized patient’s bedside as emotional support systems, patient advocates, and decision makers (1). Hospital visitation restrictions (such as those implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic) may come at a cost to patient and caregiver perceptions of care quality and patient safety. Congruent with CDC guidelines during [...]

Background: The discharge process has been identified as a choke point for efficient patient flow through the hospital1,2. Delayed discharges have been associated with ER overcrowding, increased length of stay, and increased risk for patient harm1-4. Early discharge initiatives such as discharge by noon have been adopted by hospital systems as a way to improve [...]

Background: Defined approaches to reducing rates of hospital readmissions rates assume that patients are invested in their healthcare and in preventing readmissions. However, the extent to which patients believe that readmission is a “bad” outcome and feel that it is inevitable have not been defined. Further, the ability of patients to anticipate their own readmissions [...]