Inpatients' understanding of the hospitalist role and common medical terminology

Many patients are unable to identify members of their hospital care team and experience confusion regarding some medical terminology used during hospitalization, including descriptions of the structure of their inpatient care team. This cross-sectional study sought to (1) examine inpatients' understanding of the role of a hospitalist and (2) assess inpatients' familiarity with other medical terminology commonly used in the hospital. We surveyed 172 patients admitted to the hospital medicine service at two academic medical centers. We found that almost half (47%) of respondents were unfamiliar with the term and/or role of a hospitalist, while the remaining patients had varied understanding of the role. Several other medical terms were frequently misunderstood (such as “NPO,” “PA,” and “Attending”). Ongoing efforts are needed to improve communication to ensure that hospitalized patients understand the hospitalist's role and the medical terms shared with them.