Should Psychiatrists See Patients?

Today's Wall Street Journal has an article on a new model of psychiatric care: the psychiatrist serves as a consultant to the primary care doctors and the psychotherapist.  The psychiatrist hears about the patient, but if my read is right, the psychiatrist has a large caseload and never actually sees the patients.   In Getting Mental-Health Care at the Doctor's Office: Providers Take Integrated Approach, With Patient Numbers Set to Jump Under New Law and Psychiatrists in Short Supply, Melinda Beck writes: As the consulting psychiatrist for four primary-care practices, Dr. Ratzliff confers weekly with 10 care managers who follow the patients closely, provide counseling and chart their progress in electronic registries. She helps devise treatment plans and suggests changes for those who aren't improving. "I get to touch so many more lives than I would if I were seeing these patients in person," she said. I'm speechless.  The article goes on: In some practices, psychiatrists and psychologists work alongside primary-care providers on cases. In others, primary-care doctors prescribe antidepressants or other medications, and care managers—typically licensed clinical social workers—confer weekly with patients to monitor progress, often using a standardized nine-question depression quiz. Many care managers also provide cognitive behavioral therapy and other counseling. "The goal is to give patients the skills to approach problems diffe...
Source: Shrink Rap - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Source Type: blogs