Consultation Patterns in Hospitalized Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Jordan Michaela R, Conley Joslyn, Ghali William A
Primary Institution: University of Calgary
Hypothesis
What factors influence the utilization of subspecialty consultation by general internists in a hospital setting?
Conclusion
Consultation occurs frequently and indicates patient complexity and high use of health system resources.
Supporting Evidence
- Almost half of the patients received at least one consultation (48.3%).
- Patients with consultation had a greater number of total diagnoses (7.3 vs. 5.5).
- Patients with consultation had a greater mean length of stay (15.9 vs. 6.8 days).
- Patients with consultation were more likely to spend time in the ICU (11.5% vs. 3.5%).
- Mortality was higher in patients receiving consultation (10.7% vs. 4.9%).
Takeaway
When doctors in the hospital ask for help from specialists, it usually means the patients are more complicated and need more care.
Methodology
Hospital discharge data were analyzed for consultations requested to medical subspecialties over a 2-year period.
Potential Biases
Potential underreporting of informal consultations may bias results.
Limitations
The study may underreport consultations as it only captures formal requests and does not assess the appropriateness of consultations.
Participant Demographics
Patients were hospitalized adults with complex or chronic medical diseases, with a mean age of 57 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
< 0.001
Confidence Interval
1.08–1.39
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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