Mandatory "Hospitalists".One particularly odious edict of HMOs is their mandate for the use of "hospitalists." Glenn E. Bryan, Jr., MD, Florida Medical Association president, is quoted in the article "Doctors decry de·cry tr.v. de·cried, de·cry·ing, de·cries 1. To condemn openly. 2. To depreciate (currency, for example) by official proclamation or by rumor. mandatory hospitalists," American Medical News, May 24/31, 1999, page 19: "We oppose any efforts to take patients away from physicians involuntarily. We feel strongly this constitutes unwarranted intrusion by a managed care plan into the physician-patient relationship physician-patient relationship Medical malpractice A formal or inferred relationship between a physician and a Pt, which is established once the physician assumes or undertakes the medical care or treatment of a Pt; the establishment of a PPR is 'automatic' in ." The hospitalist hos·pi·tal·ist n. A physician, usually an internist, who specializes in the care of hospitalized patients. hospitalist system is one in which the patient's own physician is excluded from caring for his patient after admission to a hospital. The hospitalist works for the insurance company and is usually unknown to the patient. The goal is to minimize use of medical services and to maximize profits of the insurance company and the hospital. The article listed 23 medical societies, including the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, abbreviated as AAFPRS, is the world's largest organization of facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons. , that are fighting mandatory hospitalist programs. Notably absent from the list were the American College of Surgeons This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. , American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, and the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy. Anyone who has had contact with the hospitalist system will know that it is not in patients' best interest. We can help by urging our societies to join in the opposition to the hospitalist program. JACK L. PULEC, MD Editor-in-Chief EAR, NOSE AND THROAT JOURNAL |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion