Table Of ContentKevin Conrad
Editor
Absolute Hospital
Medicine Review
An Intensive Question
and Answer Guide
123
Absolute Hospital Medicine Review
Kevin Conrad
Editor
Absolute Hospital Medicine
Review
An Intensive Question and Answer Guide
Editor
Kevin Conrad
Med. Dir. Comm. Aff. and Health Policy
Ochsner Health Systems Queensland
School of Medicine
New Orleans
Louisiana
USA
ISBN 978-3-319-23747-3 ISBN 978-3-319-23748-0 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-23748-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015960185
Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
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Preface
Welcome to Absolute Hospital Medicine Review: A Intensive Question and Answer Guide
This book refl ects the evolution of hospital medicine from its inception to its current rapidly
expanding role in the delivery of healthcare. There is an emphasis in this book on the problems
that hospitalists encounter daily. The goal of the book is to have an up-to-date referenced
question-based learning text that encompasses all aspects of hospital care. It is divided into
three sections: inpatient medicine, consultative and co-management, and hospital systems
management. It is suitable for junior and senior clinicians, for those preparing for boards, and
for those in training who would like to be exposed to the complexities of hospital medicine.
T he content of this is book follows the framework set forth by the Society of Hospital
Medicine. It relies heavily on the actual cases presenting to our facility and solutions that are
based on available research.
These questions refl ect the great variety of clinical, ethical, and administrative situations a
hospitalist encounters. The defi nitive role of the hospitals has been somewhat of a moving
target. I have been part of a program that began in the early days of hospital medicine. In the
past 20 years since its formal inception, hospital medicine has grown to nearly 40,000 practi-
tioners. No specialty has come so far so fast. The original intent of our own hospitalist program
was to provide stability to our house staff teaching program. This has continued to be a major
component, but we have also been called upon to co-manage surgical patients, provide cost-
effective services, provide perioperative services, and lead a wide variety of quality
initiatives.
A s soon as the scope of our practice and our goals have been defi ned, they are changed. No
doubt this trend will continue as hospitalists are viewed as the solution to many of the ever-
increasing fi nancial pressures on the healthcare system. As hospitalists, we have learned to be
adaptable. Each week we face a new set expectations, requirements, and time constraints.
O ur clinical future is uncertain as studies attempt to defi ne which specialty provides the
highest quality and most cost-effective care to the hospitalized patient. We need to understand
the limitations of those studies, conduct our own research, and advocate for our clinical privi-
leges. I believe the questions in this book will illustrate some of those issues.
Hospitalists often understand the acutely ill patient best. Their physical, emotional, and
social needs can be rapidly assessed by our skill sets. We are often called upon to be the
patient’s advocate. With that comes the challenge of understanding the treatment options and
proven effi cacy of the options offered.
N ow more so than ever, it is important that we defi ne what we do, do it well, and commu-
nicate our value to the healthcare system. I hope that this question-based guide helps that
process by demonstrating the issues that hospitalists are expert at solving and reveal those
areas that need further research.
We hope to receive your feedback in improving future editions. Please share your thoughts
on what topics should be added and how they should be presented.
New Orleans, LA, USA Kevin Conrad , MD
v
Contents
Inpatient Medicine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Laura Bateman and Kevin Conrad
Consultative and Comanagement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Ashley Casey and Kevin Conrad
Hospital Systems Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Marianne Maumus and Kevin Conrad
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
vii
Contributors
Editor in Chief
Kevin Conrad , MD, MBA Department of Hospital Medicine , Ochsner Health Systems ,
New Orleans , LA , USA
Tulane University School of Medicine , New Orleans , LA , USA
University of Queensland School of Medicine , New Orleans , LA , USA
Associate Editors
Laura E. Bateman , MD Internal Medicine Department , Ochsner Health Systems ,
New Orleans , LA , USA
Ashley Casey , Pharm.D, BCPS, MT, ASCP Department of Pharmacy ,
Ochsner Health Systems , New Orleans , LA , USA
Marianne Maumus , MD Department of Hospital Medicine , Ochsner Health Systems ,
New Orleans , LA , USA
ix
