Hospital Privleges

[busterbear]

Does anybody out there know any reason why a family doctor would not have hospital privleges. Have had a family member in hospital many times and doctor has never visited. I was recently told she doesnt have hospital privleges. I am not too comfortable with this and do plan to ask next time I see her but was hoping to hear from someone in Castanet land.

[gardengirl]

I have run into this as well. I believe the Dr. has to request to have hospital privileges. I am not sure why they would not do this. It could be that when people are in hospital, they are more likely being treated by a specialist as their condition is more serious that what a GP can handle. The GP will probably get reports from the hospital.

It was strange to me as well. I am from a small town, and there was no doubt that your GP would check on you if you were hospitalized.

Perhaps the hospital prefers that not everyone have privileges as they could have conflicting ideas about the correct treatment. You would not want Drs prescribing different medications or different dosages for instance.

[Bsuds]

I'm not positive but they might have to pay for Hospital privileges!

[strwbrrydvl]

Hmmm.. I don't like the sounds of that.
If it is called 'hospital privilege' for a doctor to do rounds at a hospital then that makes me think that this doctor isn't allowed in the hospital. I have never heard of a doctor not having the ability to see patients there. Perhaps you could enquire at KGH or Interior Health as to why a GP wouldn't have 'hospital privileges'.

[flamingfingers]

What we have going here now is 'most' GPs do not have hospital privileges. And that is their own prerogative. They can choose to have privileges or not. But: They are getting too pressed to attend their own office hours, so the system is that there are 'hospitalists'.... eg, doctors that staff the emerg and then rotate to take care of the patients who have been admitted to beds in the hospital. And then these 'hospitalists' do the job of the GP in attending admitted patients, arranging tests, specialists, etc. There are still GPs that attend their patients in hospital but they are getting very rare.
The unfortunate part is, the patient rarely sees the same hospitalist over a prolonged hospital stay and is unable to really have a 'connect' with them as they have with their GP.

That is what 'managed care' and efficiencies have brought us to.

[Imagination]

Doesn't seem odd to me at all but then I come from a much larger city where it would be considered rare these days to have a doctor who had hospital privileges. I don't know why that is but suspect they just don't have time or interest unless they are a specialist of some sort. GP's are almost never seen in hospitals anymore in cities. You can probably also chalk it up to the way they are paid, the shortages of GP's and a few other things but it's just the way it goes these days.