Pediatric Hospitalist Comanagement of Surgical Patients.

There are multiple reasons why pediatric hospitalists become involved in the care of surgical patients. Several are related to postoperative complications or acute medical issues that arise during their hospitalization. Comanagement programs have become increasingly utilized in the care of such patients, providing a different model of collaboration between hospital medicine and surgical providers. Traditionally, pediatric hospital medicine providers were consulted only when acute needs were identified. There has been much added value seen in the use of comanagement models, especially given the increased complexity of pediatric surgical patients and the development of pediatric hospital medicine as a subspecialty. This article will discuss pediatric hospitalist comanagement of surgical patients, including program establishment, potential benefits, and services provided, as well as challenges and additional considerations.