Pediatric hospital medicine role in the comanagement of the hospitalized surgical patient.

Medical comanagement of surgical patients by pediatric hospital medicine providers has become increasingly common. Subjectively, the comanagement model is superior to more traditional consultative models because of the anticipatory preventive care and coordination hospitalists provide to patients and hospital colleagues. Although some studies have demonstrated the value of the comanagement model in adults and children, others have failed to do so. The coming years are both exciting and challenging for this emerging field as it attempts to sustain its early progress and define its future in pediatric hospital medicine.