The logistics of an inpatient dermatology service.

Inpatient dermatology represents a unique challenge as caring for hospitalized patients with skin conditions is different from most dermatologists' daily outpatient practice. Declining rates of inpatient dermatology participation are often attributed to a number of factors, including challenges navigating the administrative burdens of hospital credentialing, acclimating to different hospital systems involving potential alternate electronic medical records systems, medical-legal concerns, and reimbursement concerns. This article aims to provide basic guidelines to help dermatologists establish a presence as a consulting physician in the inpatient hospital-based setting. The emphasis is on identifying potential pitfalls, problematic areas, and laying out strategies for tackling some of the challenges of inpatient dermatology including balancing financial concerns and optimizing reimbursements, tracking data and developing a plan for academic productivity, optimizing workflow, and identifying metrics to document the impact of an inpatient dermatology consult service.

Medicina hospitalaria a 15 años de su implementación: ¿Cuáles son los potenciales beneficios en nuestro medio? / Hospital medicine in Chile

After 15 years of development of Hospital Medicine in Chile, there are several benefits of this discipline. Among others, a reduction in the length of hospital stay, readmissions, costs, and improved medical teaching of students, residents and fellows have been observed. However, in South América there are only isolated groups dedicated to Hospital Medicine in Chile, Argentina and Brazil, with a rather slow growth. The unjustifiedfear of competitionfrom sub specialists, and the fee for service system ofpayment in our environment may be importantfactors to understand this phenomenon. The aging of the population makes imperative to improve the safety of our patients and to optimize processes and resources within the hospital, to avoid squandering healthcare resources. The following is a detailed and evidence-based article, on how hospital medicine might benefit both thepublic and prívate healthcare systems in Chile.