Family physician hospitalists: the good and the bad

A hospitalist is the most responsible physician for inpatient care without the responsibility for care post discharge. In Canada, the majority of hospitalists are family physicians which raises concerns in the context of a shortage of family physicians in the community. In this commentary, advantages and disadvantages of the hospitalist model are discussed, with a focus on the necessity of family physician hospitalists. Finally, some challenges for maintaining the family physician hospitalist model going forward are presented.