What does a pediatric hospitalist do?
If your child needs to stay at a hospital because of an injury or illness a pediatric hospitalist may form part of their care team. You might never have heard of this specialty so let’s learn more about what pediatric hospitalists are and what they do.
What is a hospitalist?
Hospitalists focus on the medical care of hospitalized patients explains the Society of Hospital Medicine. They help make sure that people who are in the hospital are getting the care they need that all physicians involved are communicating and collaborating well and that the patient is being cared for properly.
A pediatric hospitalist does the same but for children — in the pediatric ward the emergency department labor and delivery the newborn nursery neonatal intensive care and pediatric intensive care says HealthyChildren.org.
Often your pediatrician cannot be at the hospital regularly so a pediatric hospitalist will help keep your pediatrician updated and coordinate with other physicians and healthcare providers who are involved in caring for your child.
Pediatric hospitalists are medical doctors with four years of medical school and three years of residency in pediatrics.
What are the benefits of having a pediatric hospitalist?
According to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital the benefits of using a pediatric hospitalist are many:
- They provide a familiar consistent approach to caring for hospitalized patients.
- Hospitalist programs have been proven to help lower complications and reduce the length of hospital stays.
- Because they’re in the hospital 24/7 hospitalists are able to react promptly to situations.
- They’re able to help you and your child prepare for the transition back home helping you access resources services and/or medications and identify any specific needs your child may have.
Pediatric hospitalists can help make your child’s hospital stay a better one and ease the transition back home.
Read about pediatric hospitalist at Reid Health by CLICKING HERE.
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