Robert Wachter, MD

Professor

Robert M. Wachter, MD is Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In 2022, the Department was ranked the best internal medicine department in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Wachter is author of 300 articles and 6 books. He coined the term “hospitalist” in 1996 and is often considered the “father” of the hospitalist field, the fastest growing medical specialty in the U.S. history. He is past president of the Society of Hospital Medicine and past chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has written two books on safety and quality, including Understanding Patient Safety, the world’s top selling safety primer. His 2015 book, The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine’s Computer Age, was a New York Times science bestseller. In 2004, he received the John M. Eisenberg Award, the nation’s top honor in patient safety. Thirteen times, Modern Healthcare magazine has ranked him as one of the 50 most influential physician-executives in the U.S.; he was #1 on the list in 2015. He is a Master of the American College of Physicians and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. In 2020-23, his tweets on Covid-19 were viewed over 500 million times by 275,000 followers and served as a trusted source of information on the pandemic. In 2024, he chaired groups examining the impact of AI on patient safety (for the Lucian Leape Institute of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement) and on health professions education (for the Josiah Macy Foundation).
Education
2018 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California
Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars, 1990 - Health Policy, Ethics, Epidemiology, Stanford University
Chief Resident, 1988 - Internal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Residency, 1986 - Internal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
M.D., 1983 - School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
B.A., 1979 - Political Science/Biology, University of Pennsylvania
Honors and Awards
  • Board of Directors, Josiah Macy Foundation, 2024-now
  • MACP (Master of the ACP), American College of Physicians, 2020
  • Elected Member, National Academy of Medicine, 2020
  • Chair of Int'l Advisory Board, The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute, Univ of Cambridge, 2019-2023
  • Holly Smith Distinguished Professor in Science and Medicine, UCSF, 2017
  • Commencement Speaker, Univ of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2017
  • #1 Most Influential Physician-Executive in the United States, Modern Healthcare magazine, 2015
  • "The Digital Doctor" on the Science Bestseller List, The New York Times, 2015
  • Alumni of the Year award, Univ of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2015
  • Chair of the Board, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2013-2014
  • Neilson Distinguished Professor Award (leadership of specialty medicine in US), Assoc of Specialty Professors of Medicine, 2011
  • US-UK Fulbright Scholar (study at Imperial College London), Fulbright Commission, 2011
  • Master of Hospital Medicine, Society of Hospital Medicine, 2010
  • Holly Smith Award for exceptional service to School of Medicine, UCSF, 2008
  • Named one of 50 most influential physician-executives in US (each year), Modern Healthcare magazine, 2007-2018
  • Benioff Endowed Chair in Hospital Medicine, 2007
  • John M Eisenberg Award (nation's top honor in patient safety), National Quality Forum/Joint Commission, 2004
  • First elected president, Society of Hospital Medicine, 2000
  • Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award, UCSF, 1996
Publications

  1. Judson TJ, Lo L, Demko JE, Mourad M, Liu KD, Wachter RM, Lopez I, Tummalapalli SL. Addressing Inpatient Hyponatremia Through Targeted Automatic E-consults: A Pilot Randomized Trial. Journal of general internal medicine 2024. PMID: 39438379


  2. Santhosh L, Rosenstein LA, Wachter RM. Revitalizing grand rounds in the time of COVID. BMC medical education 2024. PMID: 39363156


  4. Patel R, Dani SS, Khadke S, Kumar A, Ahmad J, Saji AM, Shah J, Mehta N, Wener K, McQuillen DP, Abraham G, Faust J, Maley J, Patel S, Mullington J, Wachter RM, Mosenthal A, Sax PE, Ganatra S. Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir for Acute COVID-19 in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease and Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection. JACC. Advances 2024. PMID: 39081650


  5. Adler-Milstein J, Redelmeier DA, Wachter RM. The Limits of Clinician Vigilance as an AI Safety Bulwark. JAMA 2024. PMID: 38483397


  6. Park HJ, Gonsalves GS, Tan ST, Kelly JD, Rutherford GW, Wachter RM, Schechter R, Paltiel AD, Lo NC. Comparing frequency of booster vaccination to prevent severe COVID-19 by risk group in the United States. Nature communications 2024. PMID: 38448400


  7. Wachter RM. COVID-19 and Patient Safety-Lessons From 2 Efforts to Keep People Safe. JAMA internal medicine 2024. PMID: 38190140


  8. Wachter RM, Brynjolfsson E. Will Generative Artificial Intelligence Deliver on Its Promise in Health Care? JAMA 2023. PMID: 38032660


  9. Kulkarni SA, Wachter RM. The Hospitalist Movement 25 Years Later. Annual review of medicine 2023. PMID: 37802086


  10. Wachter RM. The Disappointing Impact of Interventions to Prevent Hospital Readmissions. JAMA internal medicine 2023. PMID: 37126339


  11. Kocher B, Wachter RM. Why is it so hard for academic medical centers to succeed in value-based care? Health Affairs Scholar 2023. PMID: 38756833


  12. Ganatra S, Dani SS, Ahmad J, Kumar A, Shah J, Abraham GM, McQuillen DP, Wachter RM, Sax PE. Oral Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir in Non-hospitalized Vaccinated Patients with Covid-19. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2022. PMID: 35986628


  14. Wachter RM. Nailing the nuance on COVID-19. Science (New York, N.Y.) 2022. PMID: 35857614


  15. James CA, Wachter RM, Woolliscroft JO. Preparing Clinicians for a Clinical World Influenced by Artificial Intelligence. "Are Telehealth Visits Feasible for Vulnerable Patients?" 2022. PMID: 35311917


  16. Lyles CR, Wachter RM, Sarkar U. Focusing on Digital Health Equity. "Are Telehealth Visits Feasible for Vulnerable Patients?" 2021. PMID: 34677577


  17. Judson TJ, Mourad M, Wachter RM. Building a Targeted Automatic e-Consult (TACo) Program. "Are Telehealth Visits Feasible for Vulnerable Patients?" 2021. PMID: 34933816


  18. Schaffer AC, Yu-Moe CW, Babayan A, Wachter RM, Einbinder JS. Rates and Characteristics of Medical Malpractice Claims Against Hospitalists. Journal of hospital medicine 2021. PMID: 34197302


  19. Kadire SR, Wachter RM, Lurie N. Delayed Second Dose versus Standard Regimen for Covid-19 Vaccination. The New England journal of medicine 2021. PMID: 33596347


  20. DeJong C, Wachter RM. The Risks of Prescribing Hydroxychloroquine for Treatment of COVID-19-First, Do No Harm. JAMA internal medicine 2020. PMID: 32347894


  22. Dzeng E, Wachter RM. Ethics in Conflict: Moral Distress as a Root Cause of Burnout. Journal of general internal medicine 2019. PMID: 31667744


  23. Berger A, Matloubian M, Shah NP, Wachter RM, DeRisi JL, Anderson M. The Molecular Medicine Investigation Unit: Linking Patient Care and Scientific Inquiry in Physician-Scientist Training. Journal of graduate medical education 2020. PMID: 32089799


  24. Sankaran S, Andrews JP, Chicas M, Wachter RM, Berger MS. Patient safety movement in neurological surgery: the current state and future directions. Journal of neurosurgery 2019. PMID: 31585429


  25. Ray JM, Ratwani RM, Sinsky CA, Frankel RM, Friedberg MW, Powsner SM, Rosenthal DI, Wachter RM, Melnick ER. Six habits of highly successful health information technology: powerful strategies for design and implementation. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA 2019. PMID: 31265064


  26. Gupta K, Wachter RM. Integrating Health Care Technologies: Challenges and Lessons Learned from One Medical Center's Experience. Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety 2019. PMID: 31462393


  27. Nundy S, Montgomery T, Wachter RM. Promoting Trust Between Patients and Physicians in the Era of Artificial Intelligence. JAMA 2019. PMID: 31305873


  29. Emanuel EJ, Wachter RM. Artificial Intelligence in Health Care: Will the Value Match the Hype? JAMA 2019. PMID: 31107500


  31. Gandhi TK, Kaplan GS, Leape L, Berwick DM, Edgman-Levitan S, Edmondson A, Meyer GS, Michaels D, Morath JM, Vincent C, Wachter R. Transforming concepts in patient safety: a progress report. BMJ quality & safety 2018. PMID: 30018115


  33. Wachter RM, Gupta K.. Understanding Patient Safety, 3rd Edition Understanding Patient Safety, 3rd Edition. 2018. PMID:


  34. Patel H, Fang MC, Mourad M, Green A, Wachter RM, Murphy RD, Harrison JD. Hospitalist and Internal Medicine Leaders' Perspectives of Early Discharge Challenges at Academic Medical Centers. Journal of hospital medicine 2017. PMID: 29240850


  35. Sarkar U, McDonald K, Motala A, Smith P, Zipperer L, Wachter RM, Shanman R, Shekelle PG. Pragmatic Insights on Patient Safety Priorities and Intervention Strategies in Ambulatory Settings. Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety 2017. PMID: 29173287


  36. Uphaus T, Grings A, Gröschel S, Müller A, Weber-Krüger M, Wachter R, Gröschel K. Automatic detection of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients with ischaemic stroke: better than routine diagnostic workup? European journal of neurology 2017. PMID: 28503795


  37. Armstrong K, Anderson ME, Carethers JM, Loscalzo J, Parmacek MS, Wachter RM, Zeidel ML. International Exchange and American Medicine. The New England journal of medicine 2017. PMID: 28146413


  38. Gupta R, Moriates C, Harrison JD, Valencia V, Ong M, Clarke R, Steers N, Hays RD, Braddock CH, Wachter R. Development of a high-value care culture survey: a modified Delphi process and psychometric evaluation. BMJ quality & safety 2016. PMID: 27798226


  39. Pannick S, Wachter RM, Vincent C, Sevdalis N. Rethinking medical ward quality. BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 2016. PMID: 27756729


  41. Schoenfeld AJ, Wachter RM. The Search for Better Patient Handoff Tools. JAMA internal medicine 2016. PMID: 27479543


  42. Wachter RM, Goldman L. Zero to 50,000 - The 20th Anniversary of the Hospitalist. The New England journal of medicine 2016. PMID: 27508924


  44. Gupta K, Wachter RM, Kachalia A. Financial incentives and mortality: taking pay for performance a step too far. BMJ quality & safety 2016. PMID: 26893513


  45. Young JQ, Wachter RM, Ten Cate O, O'Sullivan PS, Irby DM. Advancing the next generation of handover research and practice with cognitive load theory. BMJ quality & safety 2016. PMID: 26786521


  46. Hoffman A, Hatefi A, Wachter R. Hospitalists, value and the future. Future hospital journal 2016. PMID: 31098182


  47. Khanna RR, Wachter RM, Blum M. Reimagining Electronic Clinical Communication in the Post-Pager, Smartphone Era. JAMA 2016. PMID: 26746450


  48. Murray SG, Wachter RM, Cho KC, Dhaliwal G. CLINICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING. A Breakthrough Diagnosis. The New England journal of medicine 2015. PMID: 26535516


  49. Pannick S, Davis R, Ashrafian H, Byrne BE, Beveridge I, Athanasiou T, Wachter RM, Sevdalis N. Effects of Interdisciplinary Team Care Interventions on General Medical Wards: A Systematic Review. JAMA internal medicine 2015. PMID: 26076428


  50. Wachter RM. Hospital medicine in 2015: Remarkable successes and a crucial crossroads. Journal of hospital medicine 2015. PMID: 26097222


  51. Wachter RM, Kerbel RB, Aung KK. Interview of Robert M. Wachter, MD. Healthcare (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 2015. PMID: 26179733


  52. Wachter R, Wehrwein P. A Conversation With Robert Wachter, MD. Reality Bytes: Medicine's Bumpy Ride Into the Digital Age. Managed care (Langhorne, Pa.) 2015. PMID: 26117963


  53. Wachter RM. The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine's Computer Age The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine's Computer Age 2015. PMID:


  54. Coronini-Cronberg S, Bixby H, Laverty AA, Wachter RM, Millett C. English National Health Service's savings plan may have helped reduce the use of three 'low-value' procedures. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2015. PMID: 25732487


  55. Austin JM, Jha AK, Romano PS, Singer SJ, Vogus TJ, Wachter RM, Pronovost PJ. National hospital ratings systems share few common scores and may generate confusion instead of clarity. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2015. PMID: 25732492


  56. Güder G, Gelbrich G, Edelmann F, Wachter R, Pieske B, Pankuweit S, Maisch B, Prettin C, Brenner S, Morbach C, Berliner D, Deubner N, Ertl G, Angermann CE, Störk S. Reverse epidemiology in different stages of heart failure. International journal of cardiology 2015. PMID: 25710785


  57. McTiernan P, Wachter RM, Meyer GS, Gandhi TK. Patient safety is not elective: a debate at the NPSF Patient Safety Congress. BMJ quality & safety 2014. PMID: 25411320


  58. Pannick S, Beveridge I, Wachter RM, Sevdalis N. Improving the quality and safety of care on the medical ward: A review and synthesis of the evidence base. European journal of internal medicine 2014. PMID: 25457434


  59. Moriates C, Mourad M, Novelero M, Wachter RM. Development of a hospital-based program focused on improving healthcare value. Journal of hospital medicine 2014. PMID: 24980982


  60. Liao JM, Wachter RM. Grading residents' clinical performance: unique opportunities and challenges. Journal of general internal medicine 2014. PMID: 24706098


  61. Wachter RM. Hospitalist workload: the search for the magic number. JAMA internal medicine 2014. PMID: 24686774


  63. Austin JM, D'Andrea G, Birkmeyer JD, Leape LL, Milstein A, Pronovost PJ, Romano PS, Singer SJ, Vogus TJ, Wachter RM. Safety in numbers: the development of Leapfrog's composite patient safety score for U.S. hospitals. Journal of patient safety 2014. PMID: 24080719


  64. Dalton AR, Vamos EP, Harris MJ, Netuveli G, Wachter RM, Majeed A, Millett C. Impact of universal health insurance coverage on hypertension management: a cross-national study in the United States and England. PloS one 2014. PMID: 24416171


  66. Driver TH, Katz PP, Trupin L, Wachter RM. Responding to clinicians who fail to follow patient safety practices: perceptions of physicians, nurses, trainees, and patients. Journal of hospital medicine 2013. PMID: 24343947


  67. Berger MS, Wachter RM, Greysen SR, Lau CY. Changing our culture to advance patient safety: the 2013 AANS Presidential Address. Journal of neurosurgery 2013. PMID: 24289847


  68. Wachter RM. Observation status for hospitalized patients: a maddening policy begging for revision. JAMA internal medicine 2013. PMID: 23835681


  69. Sehgal NL, Wachter RM, Vidyarthi AR. Bringing continuing medical education to the bedside: the University of California, San Francisco Hospitalist Mini-College. Journal of hospital medicine 2013. PMID: 24264936


  70. Auerbach AD, Wachter RM. Focusing on value: this time is different. Journal of hospital medicine 2013. PMID: 23955925


  71. Pronovost PJ, Wachter RM. Progress in patient safety: a glass fuller than it seems. American journal of medical quality : the official journal of the American College of Medical Quality 2013. PMID: 23939487


  72. Cowling TE, Cecil EV, Soljak MA, Lee JT, Millett C, Majeed A, Wachter RM, Harris MJ. Access to primary care and visits to emergency departments in England: a cross-sectional, population-based study. PloS one 2013. PMID: 23776694


  73. Rennke S, Nguyen OK, Shoeb MH, Magan Y, Wachter RM, Ranji SR. Hospital-initiated transitional care interventions as a patient safety strategy: a systematic review. Annals of internal medicine 2013. PMID: 23460101


  74. Wachter RM, Pronovost P, Shekelle P. Strategies to improve patient safety: the evidence base matures. Annals of internal medicine 2013. PMID: 23460060


  75. Shekelle PG, Pronovost PJ, Wachter RM, McDonald KM, Schoelles K, Dy SM, Shojania K, Reston JT, Adams AS, Angood PB, Bates DW, Bickman L, Carayon P, Donaldson L, Duan N, Farley DO, Greenhalgh T, Haughom JL, Lake E, Lilford R, Lohr KN, Meyer GS, Miller MR, Neuhauser DV, Ryan G, Saint S, Shortell SM, Stevens DP, Walshe K. The top patient safety strategies that can be encouraged for adoption now. Annals of internal medicine 2013. PMID: 23460091


  76. Shekelle PG, Wachter RM, Pronovost PJ, Schoelles K, McDonald KM, Dy SM, Shojania K, Reston J, Berger Z, Johnsen B, Larkin JW, Lucas S, Martinez K, Motala A, Newberry SJ, Noble M, Pfoh E, Ranji SR, Rennke S, Schmidt E, Shanman R, Sullivan N, Sun F, Tipton K, Treadwell JR, Tsou A, Vaiana ME, Weaver SJ, Wilson R, Winters BD. Making health care safer II: an updated critical analysis of the evidence for patient safety practices. Evidence report/technology assessment 2013. PMID: 24423049


  77. Wachter RM, Verghese AC. Attending physicians on ward rounds--reply. JAMA 2013. PMID: 23340628


  78. Hwa M, Sharpe BA, Wachter RM. Development and implementation of a balanced scorecard in an academic hospitalist group. Journal of hospital medicine 2013. PMID: 23335279


  79. Graber ML, Wachter RM, Cassel CK. Bringing diagnosis into the quality and safety equations. JAMA 2012. PMID: 23011708


  80. Wachter RM. Disciplining doctors for misconduct: character matters, but so does competence. BMJ quality & safety 2012. PMID: 22996570


  81. Wachter RM, Verghese A. The attending physician on the wards: finding a new homeostasis. JAMA 2012. PMID: 22968883


  82. Lyndon A, Sexton JB, Simpson KR, Rosenstein A, Lee KA, Wachter RM. Predictors of likelihood of speaking up about safety concerns in labour and delivery. BMJ quality & safety 2012. PMID: 22927492


  83. Wachter RM. Personal accountability in healthcare: searching for the right balance. BMJ quality & safety 2012. PMID: 22942398


  84. Nelson JR, Wellikson L, Wachter RM. Specialty hospitalists: analyzing an emerging phenomenon. JAMA 2012. PMID: 22535853


  85. Greaves F, Pape UJ, King D, Darzi A, Majeed A, Wachter RM, Millett C. Associations between Internet-based patient ratings and conventional surveys of patient experience in the English NHS: an observational study. BMJ quality & safety 2012. PMID: 22523318


  86. Laverty AA, Smith PC, Pape UJ, Mears A, Wachter RM, Millett C. High-profile investigations into hospital safety problems in England did not prompt patients to switch providers. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2012. PMID: 22392671


  87. Greaves F, Pape UJ, King D, Darzi A, Majeed A, Wachter RM, Millett C. Associations between Web-based patient ratings and objective measures of hospital quality. Archives of internal medicine 2012. PMID: 22331980


  88. Wachter RM, Bell D. Renaissance of hospital generalists. BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 2012. PMID: 22331278


  89. Wachter RM.. Understanding Patient Safety Understanding Patient Safety. 2012. PMID:


  90. Auerbach AD, Sehgal NL, Blegen MA, Maselli J, Alldredge BK, Vittinghoff E, Wachter RM. Effects of a multicentre teamwork and communication programme on patient outcomes: results from the Triad for Optimal Patient Safety (TOPS) project. BMJ quality & safety 2011. PMID: 22069113


  91. Driver TH, Wachter RM. Can healthcare go from good to great? Journal of hospital medicine 2011. PMID: 21997854


  92. Schmaltz SP, Williams SC, Chassin MR, Loeb JM, Wachter RM. Hospital performance trends on national quality measures and the association with Joint Commission accreditation. Journal of hospital medicine 2011. PMID: 21990175


  93. Young JQ, Ranji SR, Wachter RM, Lee CM, Niehaus B, Auerbach AD. "July effect": impact of the academic year-end changeover on patient outcomes: a systematic review. Annals of internal medicine 2011. PMID: 21747093


  94. Young JQ, Pringle Z, Wachter RM. Improving follow-up of high-risk psychiatry outpatients at resident year-end transfer. Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety 2011. PMID: 21819028


  95. Taylor SL, Dy S, Foy R, Hempel S, McDonald KM, Ovretveit J, Pronovost PJ, Rubenstein LV, Wachter RM, Shekelle PG. What context features might be important determinants of the effectiveness of patient safety practice interventions? BMJ quality & safety 2011. PMID: 21617166


  96. Dy SM, Taylor SL, Carr LH, Foy R, Pronovost PJ, Ovretveit J, Wachter RM, Rubenstein LV, Hempel S, McDonald KM, Shekelle PG. A framework for classifying patient safety practices: results from an expert consensus process. BMJ quality & safety 2011. PMID: 21610267


  97. Shekelle PG, Pronovost PJ, Wachter RM, Taylor SL, Dy SM, Foy R, Hempel S, McDonald KM, Ovretveit J, Rubenstein LV, Adams AS, Angood PB, Bates DW, Bickman L, Carayon P, Donaldson L, Duan N, Farley DO, Greenhalgh T, Haughom J, Lake ET, Lilford R, Lohr KN, Meyer GS, Miller MR, Neuhauser DV, Ryan G, Saint S, Shojania KG, Shortell SM, Stevens DP, Walshe K. Advancing the science of patient safety. Annals of internal medicine 2011. PMID: 21576538


  98. Cabana MD, Wachter RM. The hazards of drawing conclusions from before-and-after studies of system-level interventions: knowing may not be enough. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine 2011. PMID: 21536963


  99. Lyndon A, Zlatnik MG, Wachter RM. Effective physician-nurse communication: a patient safety essential for labor and delivery. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 2011. PMID: 21640970


  100. Ovretveit JC, Shekelle PG, Dy SM, McDonald KM, Hempel S, Pronovost P, Rubenstein L, Taylor SL, Foy R, Wachter RM. How does context affect interventions to improve patient safety? An assessment of evidence from studies of five patient safety practices and proposals for research. BMJ quality & safety 2011. PMID: 21493589


  101. Sehgal NL, Fox M, Sharpe BA, Vidyarthi AR, Blegen M, Wachter RM. Critical conversations: a call for a nonprocedural "time out". Journal of hospital medicine 2011. PMID: 21480495


  102. Wachter RM, Auerbach AD. Filling the black hole of hospital discharge (editorial in response to article by Walz et al.,J Gen Intern Med 2011). Journal of general internal medicine 2011. PMID: 21327528


  103. Wachter RM. The hospitalist field turns 15: new opportunities and challenges. Journal of hospital medicine 2011. PMID: 21480487


  104. Allaudeen N, Schnipper JL, Orav EJ, Wachter RM, Vidyarthi AR. Inability of providers to predict unplanned readmissions. Journal of general internal medicine 2011. PMID: 21399994


  105. Alper EJ, Wachter RM. Commentary: Medical malpractice and patient safety: tear down that wall! Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 2011. PMID: 21346433


  106. Sehgal NL, Sharpe BA, Auerbach AA, Wachter RM. Investing in the future: building an academic hospitalist faculty development program. Journal of hospital medicine 2011. PMID: 21387552


  107. Foy R, Ovretveit J, Shekelle PG, Pronovost PJ, Taylor SL, Dy S, Hempel S, McDonald KM, Rubenstein LV, Wachter RM. The role of theory in research to develop and evaluate the implementation of patient safety practices. BMJ quality & safety 2011. PMID: 21317181


  108. Auerbach AD, Wachter RM, Cheng HQ, Maselli J, McDermott M, Vittinghoff E, Berger MS. Comanagement of surgical patients between neurosurgeons and hospitalists. Archives of internal medicine 2010. PMID: 21149758


  109. Blegen MA, Sehgal NL, Alldredge BK, Gearhart S, Auerbach AA, Wachter RM. Republished paper: Improving safety culture on adult medical units through multidisciplinary teamwork and communication interventions: the TOPS Project. Postgraduate medical journal 2010. PMID: 21106808


  110. Wachter RM. Why diagnostic errors don't get any respect--and what can be done about them. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2010. PMID: 20820015


  111. Blegen MA, Sehgal NL, Alldredge BK, Gearhart S, Auerbach AA, Wachter RM. Improving safety culture on adult medical units through multidisciplinary teamwork and communication interventions: the TOPS Project. Quality & safety in health care 2010. PMID: 20693223


  113. Chassin MR, Loeb JM, Schmaltz SP, Wachter RM. Accountability measures--using measurement to promote quality improvement. The New England journal of medicine 2010. PMID: 20573915


  114. Mookherjee S, Vidyarthi AR, Ranji SR, Maselli J, Wachter RM, Baron RB. Potential unintended consequences due to Medicare's "no pay for errors" rule? A randomized controlled trial of an educational intervention with internal medicine residents. Journal of general internal medicine 2010. PMID: 20532660


  115. Kneeland PP, Kneeland C, Wachter RM. Bleeding talent: a lesson from industry on embracing physician workforce challenges. Journal of hospital medicine 2010. PMID: 20533581


  116. Wachter RM. The relationship between hospitalists and primary care physicians. Annals of internal medicine 2010. PMID: 20368658


  117. Vasilevskis EE, Knebel RJ, Dudley RA, Wachter RM, Auerbach AD. Cross-sectional analysis of hospitalist prevalence and quality of care in California. Journal of hospital medicine 2010. PMID: 20394024


  118. Sehgal NL, Green A, Vidyarthi AR, Blegen MA, Wachter RM. Patient whiteboards as a communication tool in the hospital setting: a survey of practices and recommendations. Journal of hospital medicine 2010. PMID: 20394030


  119. Wachter RM. Understanding the new vocabulary of healthcare reform. Journal of hospital medicine 2010. PMID: 20394023


  120. Wachter R. Patient safety at 10 years: how far have we come? What's next? OR manager 2010. PMID: 20387299


  121. Shekelle PG, Pronovost PJ, Wachter RM (editors).. Assessing the Evidence for Context-Sensitive Effectiveness and Safety of Patient Safety Practices: Developing Criteria Assessing the Evidence for Context-Sensitive Effectiveness and Safety of Patient Safety Practices: Developing Criteria. 2010. PMID:


  122. Wachter RM. Patient safety at ten: unmistakable progress, troubling gaps. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2009. PMID: 19952010


  123. Pronovost PJ, Miller MR, Wachter RM, Meyer GS. Perspective: Physician leadership in quality. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 2009. PMID: 19940567


  125. Vasilevskis EE, Knebel RJ, Wachter RM, Auerbach AD. California hospital leaders' views of hospitalists: meeting needs of the present and future. Journal of hospital medicine 2009. PMID: 20013852


  126. Wachter RM, Pronovost PJ. Balancing "no blame" with accountability in patient safety. The New England journal of medicine 2009. PMID: 19797289


  127. Mazotti LA, Vidyarthi AR, Wachter RM, Auerbach AD, Katz PP. Impact of duty-hour restriction on resident inpatient teaching. Journal of hospital medicine 2009. PMID: 19824096


  129. Young JQ, Wachter RM. Applying Toyota Production System principles to a psychiatric hospital: making transfers safer and more timely. Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety 2009. PMID: 19774729


  130. Wachter RM, Holmboe ES. Diagnostic errors and patient safety. JAMA 2009. PMID: 19602685


  131. Sarkar U, Wachter RM, Schroeder SA, Schillinger D. Refocusing the lens: patient safety in ambulatory chronic disease care. Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety 2009. PMID: 19634806


  132. Wachter RM. Growth in care provided by hospitalists. The New England journal of medicine 2009. PMID: 19553655


  133. Lee JH, Vidyarthi AR, Sehgal NL, Auerbach AD, Wachter RM. I-CaRe: a case review tool focused on improving inpatient care. Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety 2009. PMID: 19241732


  134. Sehgal NL, Fox M, Vidyarthi AR, Sharpe BA, Gearhart S, Bookwalter T, Barker J, Alldredge BK, Blegen MA, Wachter RM. A multidisciplinary teamwork training program: the Triad for Optimal Patient Safety (TOPS) experience. Journal of general internal medicine 2008. PMID: 18830769


  135. Wachter RM, Flanders SA, Fee C, Pronovost PJ. Public reporting of antibiotic timing in patients with pneumonia: lessons from a flawed performance measure. Annals of internal medicine 2008. PMID: 18591635


  136. Bottle A, Millett C, Xie Y, Saxena S, Wachter RM, Majeed A. Quality of primary care and hospital admissions for diabetes mellitus in England. The Journal of ambulatory care management 2008. PMID: 18574381


  137. Pronovost PJ, Goeschel CA, Wachter RM. The wisdom and justice of not paying for "preventable complications". JAMA 2008. PMID: 18477787


  138. Singh SN, Wachter RM. Perspectives on medical outsourcing and telemedicine--rough edges in a flat world? The New England journal of medicine 2008. PMID: 18403771


  139. Maa J, Wachter RM, Gosnell JE, Harris HW. The future of general surgery. JAMA 2008. PMID: 18319410


  140. Wachter RM. The state of hospital medicine in 2008. The Medical clinics of North America 2008. PMID: 18298978


  141. Wachter RM, Foster NE, Dudley RA. Medicare's decision to withhold payment for hospital errors: the devil is in the det. Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety 2008. PMID: 18351196


  142. Josephson SA, Engstrom JW, Wachter RM. Neurohospitalists: an emerging model for inpatient neurological care. Annals of neurology 2008. PMID: 18306369


  143. Sehgal NL, Wachter RM. Color-coded wristbands: promoting safety or confusion? Journal of hospital medicine 2007. PMID: 18081179


  144. Sehgal NL, Wachter RM. Identification of inpatient DNR status: a safety hazard begging for standardization. Journal of hospital medicine 2007. PMID: 18080337


  145. Maa J, Gosnell JE, Carter JT, Wachter RM, Harris HW. The surgical hospitalist: a new solution for emergency surgical care? Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons 2007. PMID: 18041231


  146. Pronovost PJ, Miller M, Wachter RM. The GAAP in quality measurement and reporting. JAMA 2007. PMID: 17940238


  147. Issa AM, Phillips KA, Van Bebber S, Nidamarthy HG, Lasser KE, Haas JS, Alldredge BK, Wachter RM, Bates DW. Drug withdrawals in the United States: a systematic review of the evidence and analysis of trends. Current drug safety 2007. PMID: 18690965


  148. Maa J, Carter JT, Gosnell JE, Wachter R, Harris HW. The surgical hospitalist: a new model for emergency surgical care. Journal of the American College of Surgeons 2007. PMID: 17964447


  149. Biedermann R, Donnan L, Gabriel A, Wachter R, Krismer M, Behensky H. Complications and patient satisfaction after periacetabular pelvic osteotomy. International orthopaedics 2007. PMID: 17579861


  150. Wachter RM. What will board certification be-and mean-for hospitalists? Journal of hospital medicine 2007. PMID: 17427981


  151. Vidyarthi AR, Auerbach AD, Wachter RM, Katz PP. The impact of duty hours on resident self reports of errors. Journal of general internal medicine 2007. PMID: 17356987


  152. Wachter RM, Pronovost PJ. The 100,000 Lives Campaign: A scientific and policy review. Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety 2006. PMID: 17120921


  153. Wachter RM, Shojania KG, Markowitz AJ, Smith M, Saint S. Quality grand rounds: the case for patient safety. Annals of internal medicine 2006. PMID: 17043345


  154. Wachter RM. Is ambulatory patient safety just like hospital safety, only without the "stat"? Annals of internal medicine 2006. PMID: 17015874


  155. Sehgal NL, Wachter RM. The expanding role of hospitalists in the United States. Swiss medical weekly 2006. PMID: 17043952


  156. Pronovost PJ, Miller MR, Wachter RM. Tracking progress in patient safety: an elusive target. JAMA 2006. PMID: 16896113


  157. Wachter RM. The hospitalist movement 10 years later: life as a Swiss army knife. MedGenMed : Medscape general medicine 2006. PMID: 17406164


  158. Auerbach AD, Chlouber R, Singler J, Lurie JD, Bostrom A, Wachter RM. Trends in market demand for internal medicine 1999 to 2004: an analysis of physician job advertisements. Journal of general internal medicine 2006. PMID: 16836622


  159. Vidyarthi AR, Arora V, Schnipper JL, Wall SD, Wachter RM. Managing discontinuity in academic medical centers: strategies for a safe and effective resident sign-out. Journal of hospital medicine 2006. PMID: 17219508


  160. Wachter RM. Reflections: the hospitalist movement a decade later. Journal of hospital medicine 2006. PMID: 17219506


  161. Wachter RM. Could computerization harm patient safety? MedGenMed : Medscape general medicine 2006. PMID: 16926823


  163. Pronovost P, Wachter R. Proposed standards for quality improvement research and publication: one step forward and two steps back. Quality & safety in health care 2006. PMID: 16751460


  164. Arora V, Wetterneck TB, Schnipper JL, Auerbach AD, Kaboli P, Wachter RM, Levinson W, Humphrey HJ, Meltzer D. Effect of the inpatient general medicine rotation on student pursuit of a generalist career. Journal of general internal medicine 2006. PMID: 16704390


  165. Wachter RM. International teleradiology. The New England journal of medicine 2006. PMID: 16481633


  166. Wachter RM. The "dis-location" of U.S. medicine--the implications of medical outsourcing. The New England journal of medicine 2006. PMID: 16481632


  167. Vidyarthi AR, Katz PP, Wall SD, Wachter RM, Auerbach AD. Impact of reduced duty hours on residents' educational satisfaction at the University of California, San Francisco. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 2006. PMID: 16377825


  168. Leeper NJ, Wener LS, Dhaliwal G, Saint S, Wachter RM. Clinical problem-solving. One surprise after another. The New England journal of medicine 2005. PMID: 15814884


  169. Wachter RM, Hollander H, Goldman L.. Hospital Medicine (2nd Edition) Hospital Medicine (2nd Edition) 2005. PMID:


  170. Wachter RM, Shojania KG. The faces of errors: a case-based approach to educating providers, policymakers, and the public about patient safety. Joint Commission journal on quality and safety 2004. PMID: 15646098


  171. Hauer KE, Wachter RM, McCulloch CE, Woo GA, Auerbach AD. Effects of hospitalist attending physicians on trainee satisfaction with teaching and with internal medicine rotations. Archives of internal medicine 2004. PMID: 15451761


  172. Wachter RM, Shojania KG. The patient safety movement will help, not harm, quality. Annals of internal medicine 2004. PMID: 15313760


  173. Huddleston JM, Long KH, Naessens JM, Vanness D, Larson D, Trousdale R, Plevak M, Cabanela M, Ilstrup D, Wachter RM. Medical and surgical comanagement after elective hip and knee arthroplasty: a randomized, controlled trial. Annals of internal medicine 2004. PMID: 15238368


  174. Wachter RM. The end of the beginning: patient safety five years after 'to err is human'. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2004. PMID: 15572380


  175. Wachter RM. Hospitalists in the United States--mission accomplished or work in progress? The New England journal of medicine 2004. PMID: 15128892


  176. Shojania KG, McDonald KM, Wachter RM, Owens DK.. Closing the Quality Gap: A Critical Analysis of Quality Improvement Strategies (four volume series) Closing the Quality Gap: A Critical Analysis of Quality Improvement Strategies (four volume series). 2004. PMID:


  177. Wachter RM, Shojania KG.. Internal Bleeding: The Truth Behind America's Terrifying Epidemic of Medical Mistakes Internal Bleeding: The Truth Behind America's Terrifying Epidemic of Medical Mistakes. 2004. PMID:


  179. Flanders SA, Wachter RM. Hospitalists: the new model of inpatient medical care in the United States. European journal of internal medicine 2003. PMID: 12554016


  180. Morris A, Wachter RM, Luce J, Turner J, Huang L. Improved survival with highly active antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients with severe Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. AIDS (London, England) 2003. PMID: 12478071


  181. Auerbach AD, Wachter RM, Katz P, Showstack J, Baron RB, Goldman L. Implementation of a voluntary hospitalist service at a community teaching hospital: improved clinical efficiency and patient outcomes. Annals of internal medicine 2002. PMID: 12458985


  182. Morris A, Creasman J, Turner J, Luce JM, Wachter RM, Huang L. Intensive care of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients during the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2002. PMID: 12153955


  183. Shojania KG, Duncan BW, McDonald KM, Wachter RM. Safe but sound: patient safety meets evidence-based medicine. JAMA 2002. PMID: 12132985


  184. Wachter RM. The evolution of the hospitalist model in the United States. The Medical clinics of North America 2002. PMID: 12365336


  185. Baudendistel TE, Wachter RM. The evolution of the hospitalist movement in the USA. Clinical medicine (London, England) 2002. PMID: 12195860


  186. Wachter RM, Shojania KG, Saint S, Markowitz AJ, Smith M. Learning from our mistakes: quality grand rounds, a new case-based series on medical errors and patient safety. Annals of internal medicine 2002. PMID: 12044134


  187. Pantilat SZ, Lindenauer PK, Katz PP, Wachter RM. Primary care physician attitudes regarding communication with hospitalists. Disease-a-month : DM 2002. PMID: 12021754


  188. Wachter RM, Pantilat SZ. The "continuity visit" and the hospitalist model of care. Disease-a-month : DM 2002. PMID: 12021759


  189. Pantilat SZ, Wachter RM. The patient provider relationship and the hospitalist movement. Introduction. Disease-a-month : DM 2002. PMID: 12021750


  190. Wachter RM, Goldman L. The hospitalist movement 5 years later. JAMA 2002. PMID: 11798371


  191. Pantilat SZ, Lindenauer PK, Katz PP, Wachter RM. Primary care physician attitudes regarding communication with hospitalists. The American journal of medicine 2001. PMID: 11790363


  192. Wachter RM, Pantilat SZ. The "continuity visit" and the hospitalist model of care. The American journal of medicine 2001. PMID: 11790368


  193. Reddy JC, Katz PP, Goldman L, Wachter RM. A pneumonia practice guideline and a hospitalist-based reorganization lead to equivalent efficiency gains. The American journal of managed care 2001. PMID: 11767300


  194. Minichiello TM, Auerbach AD, Wachter RM. Caregiver perceptions of the reasons for delayed hospital discharge. Effective clinical practice : ECP 2001. PMID: 11769297


  195. Wachter RM. Who will pay for the value of hospitalists? The American journal of managed care 2001. PMID: 11725813


  196. Plauth WH, Pantilat SZ, Wachter RM, Fenton CL. Hospitalists' perceptions of their residency training needs: results of a national survey. The American journal of medicine 2001. PMID: 11530039


  197. Wachter RM. Does continuity of care matter? No: discontinuity can improve patient care. The Western journal of medicine 2001. PMID: 11431381


  198. Wachter RM. The benefits of using hospitalists. Health Forum journal 2001. PMID: 11464637


  200. Wachter RM. Response to David Meltzer's paper "Hospitalists and the doctor-patient relationship". The Journal of legal studies 2001. PMID: 12656090


  201. Hauer KE, Wachter RM. Implications of the hospitalist model for medical students' education. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 2001. PMID: 11299143


  202. Shojania KG, Showstack J, Wachter RM. Assessing hospital quality: a review for clinicians. Effective clinical practice : ECP 2001. PMID: 11329991


  203. Shojania KG, Duncan BW, McDonald KM, Wachter RM.. Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices. 2001. PMID:


  204. Shojania KG, Duncan BW, McDonald KM, Wachter RM, Markowitz AJ. Making health care safer: a critical analysis of patient safety practices. Evidence report/technology assessment (Summary) 2001. PMID: 11510252


  205. Auerbach AD, Nelson EA, Lindenauer PK, Pantilat SZ, Katz PP, Wachter RM. Physician attitudes toward and prevalence of the hospitalist model of care: results of a national survey. The American journal of medicine 2000. PMID: 11099685


  206. Wachter RM. Debunking myths about the hospitalist movement. The American journal of medicine 2000. PMID: 10856419


  207. Nickas G, Wachter RM. Outcomes of intensive care for patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Archives of internal medicine 2000. PMID: 10695695


  208. Wachter RM, Shojania KG. The unintended consequences of measuring quality on the quality of medical care. The New England journal of medicine 2000. PMID: 10691497


  209. Pascual FE, Matthay MA, Bacchetti P, Wachter RM. Assessment of prognosis in patients with community-acquired pneumonia who require mechanical ventilation. Chest 2000. PMID: 10669697


  210. Shojania KG, Wachter RM. Unreliability of physician "report cards" to assess cost and quality of care. JAMA 2000. PMID: 10632274


  211. Hauer KE, Flanders SA, Wachter RM. Training future hospitalists. The Western journal of medicine 1999. PMID: 10639879


  212. Grant RW, Charlebois ED, Wachter RM. Risk factors for early hospital readmission in patients with AIDS and pneumonia. Journal of general internal medicine 1999. PMID: 10491241


  213. Pantilat SZ, Alpers A, Wachter RM. A new doctor in the house: ethical issues in hospitalist systems. JAMA 1999. PMID: 10411199


  214. Lurie JD, Wachter RM. Hospitalist staffing requirements. Effective clinical practice : ECP 1999. PMID: 10538261


  215. Lurie JD, Miller DP, Lindenauer PK, Wachter RM, Sox HC. The potential size of the hospitalist workforce in the United States. The American journal of medicine 1999. PMID: 10225248


  216. Wachter RM, Whitcomb WF, Nelson JR. Financial implications of implementing a hospitalist program. Healthcare financial management : journal of the Healthcare Financial Management Association 1999. PMID: 10351056


  217. Wachter RM. An introduction to the hospitalist model. Annals of internal medicine 1999. PMID: 10068402


  218. Lindenauer PK, Pantilat SZ, Katz PP, Wachter RM. Hospitalists and the practice of inpatient medicine: results of a survey of the National Association of Inpatient Physicians. Annals of internal medicine 1999. PMID: 10068403


  219. Wachter RM. The hospitalist movement: ten issues to consider. Hospital practice (1995) 1999. PMID: 10047762


  220. Wachter RM, Goldman L. Implications of the hospitalist movement for academic departments of medicine: lessons from the UCSF experience. The American journal of medicine 1999. PMID: 10230739


  221. Bellet PS, Wachter RM. The hospitalist movement and its implications for the care of hospitalized children. Pediatrics 1999. PMID: 9925844


  222. Wachter RM, Flanders S. The hospitalist movement and the future of academic general internal medicine. Journal of general internal medicine 1998. PMID: 9824528


  223. Rand VE, Hudes ES, Browner WS, Wachter RM, Avins AL. Effect of evaluator and resident gender on the American Board of Internal Medicine evaluation scores. Journal of general internal medicine 1998. PMID: 9798813


  224. Wachter RM, Katz P, Showstack J, Bindman AB, Goldman L. Reorganizing an academic medical service: impact on cost, quality, patient satisfaction, and education. JAMA 1998. PMID: 9605901


  225. Hauer KE, Wachter RM. A model hospitalist training program. The hospitalist 1998. PMID: 10346243


  226. Wachter RM, Goldman L. The emerging role of "hospitalists" in the American health care system. The New England journal of medicine 1996. PMID: 8672160


  227. Wachter RM. Intensive care for patients with AIDS: clinical and ethical issues. Schweizerische medizinische Wochenschrift 1995. PMID: 7597398


  228. Wachter RM, Luce JM, Safrin S, Berrios DC, Charlebois E, Scitovsky AA. Cost and outcome of intensive care for patients with AIDS, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and severe respiratory failure. JAMA 1995. PMID: 7807663


  229. Wachter RM. Rationing health care: preparing for a new era. Southern medical journal 1995. PMID: 7817224


  231. Luce JM, Wachter RM. The ethical appropriateness of using prognostic scoring systems in clinical management. Critical care clinics 1994. PMID: 8118731


  232. Wachter RM, Lo B. Advance directives for patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Critical care clinics 1993. PMID: 8422613


  233. Brandeau ML, Owens DK, Sox CH, Wachter RM. Screening women of childbearing age for human immunodeficiency virus. A cost-benefit analysis. Archives of internal medicine 1992. PMID: 1444682


  234. Wachter RM. AIDs, activism, and the politics of health. The New England journal of medicine 1992. PMID: 1727220


  235. Wachter RM, Luce JM, Hopewell PC. Critical care of patients with AIDS. JAMA 1992. PMID: 1729577


  236. Wachter RM, Russi MB, Bloch DA, Hopewell PC, Luce JM. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and respiratory failure in AIDS. Improved outcomes and increased use of intensive care units. The American review of respiratory disease 1991. PMID: 1990936


  237. Wachter RM.. The Fragile Coalition: Scientists, Activists and AIDS The Fragile Coalition: Scientists, Activists and AIDS. 1991. PMID:


  239. Wachter RM, Luce JM, Hearst N, Lo B. Decisions about resuscitation: inequities among patients with different diseases but similar prognoses. Annals of internal medicine 1989. PMID: 2549825


  240. Wachter RM, Luce JM, Lo B, Raffin TA. Life-sustaining treatment for patients with AIDS. Chest 1989. PMID: 2646078


  241. Epstein L, Libby E, Wachter RM. An acute exacerbation of P. carinii pneumonia. Hospital practice (Office ed.) 1989. PMID: 2493006


  242. Luce JM, Wachter RM. Intensive care for patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Intensive care medicine 1989. PMID: 2607032


  243. Wachter RM, Tierney LM. A hidden complication of heart disease. Hospital practice (Office ed.) 1988. PMID: 3142893


  244. Luce JM, Wachter RM, Hopewell PC. Intensive care of patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: time for a reassessment? The American review of respiratory disease 1988. PMID: 3264472


  245. Wachter RM, Cooke M, Hopewell PC, Luce JM. Attitudes of medical residents regarding intensive care for patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Archives of internal medicine 1988. PMID: 3257378


  246. Lo B, Raffin TA, Cohen NH, Wachter RM, Luce JM, Hopewell PC. Ethical dilemmas about intensive care for patients with AIDS. Reviews of infectious diseases 1987. PMID: 3321365


  247. Wachter RM. Symptomatic hypotension induced by nifedipine in the acute treatment of severe hypertension. Archives of internal medicine 1987. PMID: 3827433


  248. Wachter RM, Luce JM, Turner J, Volberding P, Hopewell PC. Intensive care of patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Outcome and changing patterns of utilization. The American review of respiratory disease 1986. PMID: 3777686


  249. Wachter RM, Fields S. Lethargy and confusion after total nephrectomy. Hospital practice (Office ed.) 1986. PMID: 3081535


  250. Wachter RM. The impact of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome on medical residency training. The New England journal of medicine 1986. PMID: 3941698


  251. Wachter RM. Ripping and filing Journal articles. The New England journal of medicine 1984. PMID: 6472418