The physician and licensed mental health professional team: Prevalence and feasibility.

Abstract

Physicians in a rural Virginia community were surveyed to determine the feasibility of a physician /counselor liaison practice. Comparable experience in the United Kingdom is reviewed as well. Fifty-seven percent of the physicians surveyed reported that they would find a liaison practice useful, at least a half-day per week, in a medical practice similar to theirs. Family practitioners considered the concept more useful than did a group of 21 medical specialtists; oncologists, emergency medicine physicians, younger physicians, and those who refer for counseling more often were most enthusiastic. General information relating to the liaison arrangement was gathered from licensing boards, medical and counseling organizations, and malpractice and health insurance companies.

Medical and mental healthcare providers' attitudes about collaboration.

“…Collaborative care models have been shown to result in improved patient outcomes (Engel, Kroenke, & Katon, 1994), increased patient satisfaction (Arean & Miranda, 1996), and medical cost reductions (Katon, 1995;Mumford et al, 1984;Pallak, Cummings, Dorken, & Henke, 1993). Further, many collaborative practitioners believe that this model ofFers other advantages over traditional ones, includ-ing better and earlier assessment of problems, improved treatment, increased patient and provider satisfaction, decreased stigmatization of mental health services, increased functional health status, improved treatment adherence, and reduced risk of iatrogenic harm from over-utilization of medical services (Lareau, 1994;McDaniel et al, 1995).…”