Short Takes
Association between hospitalist years of experience with mortality in hospitalized patients
Cohort study showed that Medicare patients cared for by hospitalists in their first year of practice experienced higher in-hospital and 30-day mortality, compared with patients cared for by hospitalists in their second year of practice. New hospitalists may need additional monitoring and support to ensure optimal patient outcomes.
Citation: Goodwin JS et al. Association of hospitalist years of experience with mortality in the hospitalized Medicare population. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(2):196-203.
Standardized handoff improves preparedness in the ICU
Cluster randomized stepped-wedge trial in eight ICUs in an academic center showed that a standardized handoff intervention was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the odds of clinician self-reported unpreparedness from a poor-quality handoff (odds ratio, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.74; P = .03).
Citation: Parent B et al. Effect of standardized handoff curriculum on improved clinician preparedness in the intensive care: A stepped-wedge cluster randomized clinical trial. JAMA Surg. 2018 Jan 3. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2017.5440.
