Hospital medicine

The dramatic trend of our rapidly aging population demands a change in both the practice and scope of hospital medicine. With the rising number of hospitalized older adults, all hospitalists must have core competencies in acute geriatric medicine. Hospitalists have expertise in the clinical management of the acutely ill hospitalized patients and because of their central role they are increasingly called upon to improve the performance of hospitals and health systems. In addition to providing comprehensive assessment, diagnosis and treatment, hospitalists are responsible for coordinating with other specialists and team members, and safely transitioning their patients to the next level of care-all while efficiently utilizing resources. For each of these domains, the acutely ill older and vulnerable patient presents unique challenges because a hospitalization is often a life-changing event. This chapter will provide hospitalists with the practical, evidence-based geriatric knowledge and skills to optimize their older patient’s outcomes.