SHM White PapersAs a part of SHM's mission, we strive to
provide our members with up-to-date research on hospital medicine, as
well as opinions from various thought-leaders throughout the
specialty. These thoughts and research are reflected in special
publications from SHM. Our white papers provide facts and opinions on
several different areas of hospital medicine. Through the work of SHM's
various committees, task forces and specialists in each area, these
publications are born to be a resource for hospitalists.
What Every Hospitalist Should Know about Seizures and
Epilepsy
Management of Seizures and Epilepsy: A Practical Guide for the
Hospitalist
Hospitalists frequently find themselves as the frontline providers
of neurological care and involved in the evaluation and management of
patients with seizures and epilepsy. In some cases, the seizure is a
symptom of another condition or a side effect of medication; in other
cases, the seizure is actually epilepsy.
A working knowledge of seizure management and the breadth of issues
facing these patients and their providers is critical. The Society
of Hospital Medicine (SHM) has
gathered an expert panel – led by SHM member David Likosky, MD,
SFHM – to provide our members with information and tools to help
elevate the standard of care for these patients. Dr. Likosky is joined
by leading hospitalists, neurohospitalists and an
epileptologist.
Click
here to view campaign materials
Society of Hospital Medicine / American Society of Health-System
Pharmacists Joint Pharmacoeconomics SurveyA joint survey was
conducted by the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) and the American
Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) to analyze the use of
pharmacoeconomics in making formulary decisions in hospitals.
Pharmacoeconomic methods evaluate the value of effects compared to the
cost of pharmaceutical products when making decisions on changes to the
formulary system. The survey found pharmacoeconomic methods rank low as
a decision influencer on formulary changes. In the study, 87 percent of
physicians and pharmacists working in hospitals felt that
pharamacoeconomic methods should be used when considering additions or
deletions to their hospital formulary. However, when making formulary
decisions, respondents reported that clinical and therapeutic factors
contribute most to these decisions (54 percent), followed by drug costs
(24 percent), pharmacoeconomic methods (13 percent), and patient quality
of life (9 percent). View the final report from the Pharmaeconomics
Survey
The Co-Management White Paper
"A Guide to Hospitalist/Orthopedic Surgery Co-Management" is the work
of an expert panel comprising hospitalists, orthopedic surgeons, nurses,
hospital administrators, pharmacist, and other key stakeholders engaged
in building and establishing effective co-management programs.
Recognizing that hospitalists have an increasing role in the medical
management of surgical patients, SHM's Co-Management Advisory Panel
identified recommendations and best practices that will assist
institutions in developing comprehensive plans for program development
and avoiding potential pitfalls. Topics of interest include: developing
a service agreement, financial considerations, recommended metrics, and
defining patient inclusion criteria.
View A Guide to
Hospitalist/Orthopedic Surgery Co-Management White Paper
The Observation Unit White Paper"The Observation Unit: An
Operational Overview for the Hospitalist" is the work of the SHM Expert
Panel on Observation Units. As there is an increasing role for the
Hospitalist in Observation Medicine, the panel wrote this paper for
Hospitalists and Hospital Medicine administrators to better understand
both the implications of Observation Medicine for the Hospitalist and
the basics of observation unit operations. The white paper
summarizes key findings with respect to observation unit operations and
staffing, clinical care and outcomes, economics, and performance
measurement. Sample admission and discharge criteria, clinical
protocols and suggested performance measures are included as a "starter
set" for those considering a new program. Convened in 2007, SHM's
Expert Panel on Observation Units included physicians, pharmacists,
nurses and case managers with expertise in hospital medicine, emergency
and observation medicine, and cardiology. View the Observation Unit White Paper
Career Satisfaction White PaperThe first white paper,
titled "A Challenge for a New Specialty: A White Paper on Hospitalist
Career Satsifaction", is the work of the SHM Career Satisfaction Task
Force. The Task Force wrote this paper for hospitalists, hospital
medicine programs, and hospitals to use as a resource to improve job
satisfaction. The white paper is divided into what the Task Force
identified as the four pillars of career satisfaction –
autonomy/control, workload/schedule, reward/recognition and
community/environment. For each of the four pillars, the paper outlines
recommendations and specifies tools that hospitalist employers can use
to improve the work environment. Also included within the paper is
a questionnaire that individual hospitalists can use to identify what
factors are important to them in a job and how their current position is
meeting their needs. Formed in 2005, SHM's Career Satisfaction
Task Force was assembled to identify opportunities to promote an
environment to create hospitalist job satisfaction. The main mission is
to 'identify specific working conditions in hospital medicine that
promote success and wellness; to provide resources to enhance career
satisfaction and to promote more research into hospitalist career
satisfaction and help avoid burnout.' View the Career Satisfaction White Paper.
Dashboard White PaperThe second white paper in the series
is titled, "Measuring
Hospitalist Performance: Metrics, Reports, and Dashboards." This
white paper is the work of SHM's Benchmarks Committee. The
'Dashboard White Paper' identifies 10 key performance metrics for
hospitalists which are divided into three categories: descriptive,
operational and clinical. In addition to identifying metrics and
describing measurement issues, the paper outlines a five step process
for developing a customized approach to performance
reporting. SHM's Benchmarks Committee began their work on this
white paper in 2005 and set out with the goal to help hospitalists
develop a common language and conceptual framework for monitoring
performance. During the process, the committee kept these three common
questions from hospital medicine groups in mind: - What aspects
of performance should we monitor?
- How and where do we get the
information we need?
- What should we do with the information once
we have it?
The paper addresses these and related questions,
while making general recommendations based on best practices. View
or Purchase a copy of Measuring Hospitalist Performance: Metrics,
Reports, and Dashboard.
Advocacy White PaperAn
additional white paper authored by SHM's Public Policy Committee,
"Hospitalists:
Leading the Way to More Effective, Higher Quality Health
Care", was created to introduce policymakers to
hospitalists and their role in the U.S. health care system. The paper is
intended to help legislators adopt policies and implement programs that
recognize the value that hospitalists bring to the delivery of
healthcare. Following a brief overview of the evolution to
hospital medicine, the paper provides demographic information on
hospitalists, and explores their practice models, as well as education
and training. The paper also examines the value hospitalists bring to
health care and concludes with policy recommendations that could further
define the value of hospitalists in improving the delivery of
healthcare. View a copy of Hospitalists: Leading the Way to More
Effective, Higher Quality Health Care
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