Figure 1. Trends in comanagement^a of patients hospitalized for a surgical procedure between 1996 and 2006 by a generalist physician^b, internal medicine sub-specialist^c or any medicine physician^d.

^aA patient is defined as “having comanagement” if any medicine physician submitted evaluation and management (E&M) claims for at least 70% of the days during the patients hospital stay for a surgical procedure.

^bAny medicine physician: either a generalist physician or an internal medicine subspecialist

^cGeneralist physician includes: internal medicine physician, geriatrician, family practitioner or a general practitioner

^dInternal medicine subspecialist includes: pulmonary, cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, rheumatology, nephrology, infectious disease and hematology/oncology.

For all point estimates the 95% confidence interval are less than 0.5% and are not shown.