David Meltzer, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine who is leading a multicenter study on hospitalists, agreed that it is important to study hospitalist programs in multiple sites because there are variables that need to be understood.
"One of the nice things for UI Health Care and the patients who are served by it is that the institution has gone to the trouble of doing a good evaluation. It is studies like this that, as they build together, let us understand what makes a hospitalist program successful," said Meltzer, who also has appointments in economics and public policy at UC.
Meltzer's study, which involves Kaboli and UI/VA colleagues, includes six academic medical centers and nearly 35,000 patients over the past three years.
In addition to Kaboli, the VA/UI study included Gary Rosenthal, M.D., staff physician and researcher with the VA Iowa City Health Care System and UI professor of internal medicine; and Mitch Barnett, VA Iowa City Health Care system. The UI hospitalist service is directed by Scott Wilson, D.O., UI associate professor (clinical) of internal medicine. Funding for the study included a VA Research Associate Award to Kaboli.
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Contact: Becky Soglin
becky-soglin@uiowa.edu
319-335-6660
University of Iowa
13-Aug-2004