What are the benefits or drawbacks of my primary care physician having hospital admitting privileges?

Question

In the United States, what are the reasons for and against choosing a primary care physician who has hospital admitting privileges? For example, if my primary care physician does not have hospital admitting privileges, and I need to check into a hospital as in inpatient, will my PCP be able to participate in my care while I'm in the hospital? If not, will a doctor who works in/for the hospital will be 100% responsible for coordinating and/or administering my care? Considering the time, expense, and rules involved in obtaining and maintaining admitting privileges, could it be that a PCP might tend to admit a patient to a hospital unnecessarily?

Answer 1

Hi there!

I know this response might be a bit late but I thought I'd go ahead and provide an answer/my thoughts.

In todays healthcare system, it really does not matter if your PCP has privileges for admitting someone to the hospital. Back in the day, your personal physician was the one who admitted your to the hospital and "rounded" on you, making changes to your treatment plan and coordinating your care. In today healthcare system, being admitted to the hospital requires more specialized care that most PCP's are not trained to perform or able to accomplish due to their busy practice schedules. Nowadays we have "Hospitalists" who decide who gets admitted to the hospital. They are the ones who coordinate all the care you receive while admitted to the hospital. They can collaborate with your PCP but they are the ones who are 100% responsible for your care.