The use of medical consultations for surgical patients varied widely across hospitals, especially among patients without complications. In a commentary for JAMA Internal Medicine, UTMB’s Dr. Gulshan Sharma, writes: “Over the past 20 years, the role of the medical consultant for surgical patients has transformed substantially, from consultant to comanager. While medical consultation has many anticipated benefits, there are downsides as well, including the potential for confusion when multiple opinions are sought; the challenge of decision making when multiple decision makers are included; lack of ownership when problem arises; and the costs associated with soliciting additional input,” he continues. “There is no one fit for all. Decisions on routine use of medical consultation for highly reimbursed procedures should be driven by institutional data on quality and cost,” Sharma concludes. The news also appears in Red Orbit, Medical Xpress and Science Codex.