Hospitalists are physicians that work exclusively at hospitals and specialize in Hospital Medicine. They often act as someone’s primary care physician when they are admitted to the hospital. This is a relatively new role, and it has only been around for the last 20 years or so, and board certification has only been available since 2009.
Although the role is new, the number of individuals in this position has grown rapidly. Per the U.S. Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2014, there were approximately 44,000 practicing hospitalists. According to the law, hospitalists must follow the same standards that other physicians do. This means that a hospitalist must provide the average level of care that another person in their position would have done.
As a result, the laws for medical malpractice are, in general, the same as for a physician of any other specialty. If a hospitalist fails to provide appropriate care for a patient, they may be considered to be negligent. Should a hospitalist be deemed to have been negligent, they may be liable if their actions led to a poor outcome or harm to a patient.
Hospital negligence can take many forms, including not giving someone the correct dosage of their medication, failing to give a patient the correct medication or making avoidable errors during medical procedures. These mistakes can have an enormous impact on a person’s health, and it can lead to worsening conditions, the development of new conditions and even death. A lawyer could possibly let someone know what their rights and legal options are if they have been harmed due to negligence.