The Emerging Role of “Hospitalists” in the American Health Care System

1996/08/15 by Robert M. Wachter, Lee Goldman · 4 citations
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Health Professions · Medicine · #Healthcare Policy and Management #Primary Care and Health Outcomes #Hospital Admissions and Outcomes

paper · doi:10.1056/nejm199608153350713

openalex publication_date 1996/08/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

The explosive growth of managed care has led to an increased role for general internists and other primary care physicians in the American health care system. This change is welcome in many respects, since generalists have perennially been undervalued by health care institutions, payers, and even patients.13 The greater prominence of generalism has led to an increase in the number of medical students who choose careers in primary care,4 expanded job opportunities for generalists,5 and a modest increase in the incomes of primary care physicians.6 Two of the principles underlying generalism, whether in the form of internal medicine, pediatrics, . . .

Cited by

• Growth in the Care of Older Patients by Hospitalists in the United States
• Deficits in Communication and Information Transfer Between Hospital-Based and Primary Care Physicians
• Key challenges confronting internal medicine in the early twenty-first century
• Medical doctor [wikipedia]