Consultation in Public Health

Abstract

In matters of health agfncy organization the title "Consultant" is sometimes conferred rather loosely upon a staff memiber whose work extends into areas of supervision or administration. A clarifying discussion of the nature of the consultative process and the role of the consultant is offered here.

Some factors influencing the outcome of consultation.

“…In the present study, there were several instances where consultation was a costly, inefficient way of approaching a problem. ' The presumed advantages of consul- (e.g., Argyris, 1961;Boehme, 1956;Maddux, 1955), there is as yet little empirical data dealing with these problems. As part of a study conducted in California on consultation,2 we attempted to obtain some information that would bear on these questions.…”

Cross Cultural Consultation for Mental Health Planning

“…[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Many of these endeavours can be classified according to Caplan's scheme as &dquo;programme-centred administrative consultation&dquo;; that is, they have consisted of brief, problem solving endeavours to meet an institutional crisis.10 Others have involved creative programme planning and innovation rather than ad hoc responses to pleas-for-help.…”