Career Focus
Briefing
BMJ 1999; 319 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.319.7206.3a (Published 07 August 1999) Cite this as: BMJ 1999;319:S3a-7206American office based physicians used to continue the care of their patients when they were admitted to hospital, but no longer. “Hospitalism” is now in full swing: 10% of jobs in the major journals are now for specialists based solely in hospital, and the Americans are waking up to the downside (JAMA1999;282:171). The authors call for more “ethical protection” (does this mean “better communication”?) and a continuing role for the primary care physician, all of which is, naturally, to be reimbursed by third party payers.