Synopsis

Expertly manage the most common diseases and conditions encountered in hospital medicine!

"Practical books such as this one take a giant step to bringing together the current body of usable knowledge to help hospitalists succeed....Hospitalists need to rely on books like this one for up to date information."--Laurence D. Wellikson, MD, FACP, CEO, Society of Hospital Medicine (from the foreword)

This concise yet comprehensive review is the perfect tool to prepare for certification, re-certification, and CME--or for use as a clinical refresher. Featuring expert insights, its highly efficient format conveniently condenses and simplifies must-know content for maximum yield and minimum time.

FEATURES:

• Ideal for both specialists and generalists who manage subspecialty care in the increasingly complex hospital environment

• Complete, A-to-Z overview of all diseases and disorders commonly seen by hospitalists

• Expert, up-to-date coverage of unique, need-to-know concepts in hospital medicine--including key clinical, organizational, and administrative issues

• Practical coverage of the most common diagnostic-related groups in hospital-based health care

• An incisive look at patient safety that helps you ensure optimal care

• Logically organized, easy-to-follow chapters help focus your study and provide rapid access to specific subjects

• Includes coverage of key organizational and administrative issues

Reviewer: Vincent F Carr, DO, MSA, FACC, FACP(Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)
Description: Although the title of this book suggests it conveys "just the facts" of hospital medicine, it appears to be as much attuned to administering a hospitalist group practice as providing inpatient-level medical care. Numerous articles cover various topics with tables and figures along with corresponding descriptions.
Purpose: The foreword gives a brief description of the state of the hospitalist movement in American medicine and somewhat of a justification for this book. The list of contributors is quite extensive.
Audience: This is a book for someone fairly well versed in inpatient medicine who is considering becoming a hospitalist. It emphasizes the interaction in the multidisciplinary nature of inpatient care, and the great number of contributors helps to bring all specialties into the discussion.
Features: I was surprised by the number of pages (specifically the first 100 and last 20) dedicated to the nonclinical aspects of being a hospitalist. Many of the topics in the administrative sections relate to such aspects as the quality movement in medicine, leadership, and management techniques and styles. This is followed by the core competencies for those practicing as hospitalists. Many of these topics are redundant, e.g. chest pain, suspected angina, and acute coronary syndromes cover similar ground. Subsequent editions could be improved by editing to avoid such overlap.
Assessment: Perhaps future editions will hone the material and define whether the book will be clinically or administratively oriented.

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Biography

Sylvia C. McKean, MD, FACP, Medical Director, Brigham and Women's Academic Hospitalist Service; Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

Adrienne L. Bennett, MD, PhD, Director, Division of Hospital Medicine; Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH

Lakshmi K. Halasyamani, MD, Vice President, Quality and Systems Improvement, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, Ann Arbor, MI