Physician Perceptions of Patient Health: A Comparative Analysis between Urologist and Hospitalist Perceptions of Need for Inpatient Hospitalist Comanagement Following Radical Cystectomy

Background/aims: The morbidity of radical cystectomy remains high. A multidisciplinary approach utilizing hospitalist comanagement may improve outcomes. It is unclear what factors should be considered to determine which patients might benefit from this approach. We sought to determine if there are differences between the perceived need for co-management between urologists and hospitalists. Preoperative variables were analyzed to determine which factors might be associated with need for comanagement.

Methods: A case-based survey was emailed to urologists and hospitalists at 3 academic institutions to investigate perceptions regarding need for inpatient medical comanagement of fictitious patients following cystectomy. Decisions were rated based on patient comorbidities, age, race, sex, cancer stage, neoadjuvant therapy, alcohol intake, performance status, and English literacy. A Wilcoxon rank sum test assessed each question for differences. A Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test was used to assess whether the proportion of respondents who advocated for comanagement increased as Charlson comorbidity score increased.

Results: The most significant determinant of need for postoperative comanagement was patients' comorbidities. Urologists and hospitalists did not differ significantly in beliefs regarding need for comanagement.

Conclusion: The most important determining factor for comanagement was presence of comorbidities. Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of this multidisciplinary approach.