Of the survey respondents, 25.3% are paid by straight salary; 6.1% are paid based on productivity, and the remainder earn a mix of salary and bonus.
Productivity figures show hospitalist experience pays off: Experienced hospitalists have more encounters in the same number of hours than their less-experienced counterparts. They also have higher compensation.
Another disturbing trend among hospitalist leaders is that they put in about as many clinical hours as nonleaders. “This indicates that they may not have enough time to lead,” Dr. Kealey said.
The survey included information on 106 respondents who are nocturnists. These night workers have significantly fewer encounters, and work slightly fewer hours for slightly less money. Dr. Kealey noted that “when you cover nights, your productivity drops. This is good to know if you’re thinking about adding night coverage in your practice.”
The complete survey results should be available sometime in May, and information will be posted on the SHM Web site at www.hospitalmedicine.org.