There’s no question – in the unpredictable, yet dynamic, world of healthcare, physician outsourcing is becoming a popular outlet among hospitalists.

Considering the increasing shortages of hospital physicians, economic pressures, and advances in tele-medicine, it’s no wonder the number of hospitals partnering with companies that offer outsourced physician services is a steadily increasing solution.

“The Hospitalist” recently ran an article that emphasized the fact that “hospitalists will likely encounter — if they haven’t already — physician services ranging from off-site medical transcription and language interpreters, to long-distance radiology and electronic intensivist services.”

“Our need to be able to harness technology to provide [a high] level of intensive care to patients, no matter where they are, is going to be very strong,” said Rick Wade, an executive with the American Hospital Association. “I think we will see more of this [outsourcing]. But I also think we’ll see a much greater emphasis on trying to train new physicians. Outsourcing is part of the same phenomenon as medical tourism.

“Hospitals that go this route are going to have a responsibility to demand high-quality physicians, demand Joint Commission certification, and demand to know the background and training of these [outsourced] physicians, because the patients and families are going to have questions. That’s part of the doctor-patient relationship that the hospital is going to create.”