It’s been 20 years since Robert M. Wachter, MD, FACP, and Lee Goldman, MD, FACP, coined the term hospitalist (1), yet often patients are still unfamiliar with the title. This can be a good thing (maybe they haven’t been hospitalized in 20 years), but it does mean that we need to explain to them (and their families) who we are and what we do. I often find myself saying, “I’m here to act as your PCP while you’re in the hospital. I’m in charge of your care, and I help coordinate the other members of the team. In addition, I keep your PCP informed of everything that happens while you’re here.”
