The evolution of the hospitalist model in the United States.

Emerging data support the hypothesis that the use of hospital-based physicians can lead to improved efficiency without compromising patient [table: see text] outcomes or satisfaction. Nevertheless, for the foreseeable future, hospital care in the United States will likely remain a highly pluralistic system in which the organization of care is determined by efforts to improve the value of care in the context of local culture, patient populations, and patient and provider preferences. The method of hospital care chosen by each institution and group of physicians should be the one that promotes the best clinical outcomes and highest patient satisfaction at the lowest costs. With these goals in mind, it is likely that hospitalists will play an increasingly important and visible role in many institutions across the country.