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: Dinah Source Type: blogs
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