Comparison of hospital costs and length of stay associated with general internists and hospitalist physicians at a community hospital

Objective: To compare initial and long-term hospital resource utilization of hospitalists and general internists at an urban community hospital. Study Design: A retrospective cohort analysis. Methods: Data were collected from 11 750 admissions associated with 28 diagnosis-related groups for 6 years (October 1, 1994, to September 30, 2000). Hospital cost, length of stay, mortality, and 30-day readmission rates of general and hospitalist internists were analyzed for comparison. Results: Hospitalists had generally lower utilization compared with general internists. Overall, length of stay and hospital cost were 16.1% and 8.3% lower, respectively, for hospitalists. Hospital mortality and 30-day readmissions were similar for both physician groups. Conclusions: Hospital resource utilization is moderately lower for hospitalists compared with private practicing general internists.