Abstract
Objective
To determine if a psychiatry-primary medical care (PPMC) training track impacts comfort and behaviors related to addressing general medical issues after residency.
Method
Thirty five psychiatry resident graduates completed mailed surveys; nine of them had completed the PPMC track.
Results
Compared to non-PPMC participants, PPMC participants felt better prepared to address medical issues and tended to perform more consultations and feel more comfortable referring patients to general medical providers. They were not more likely to perform routine health screenings.
Conculsion
Integrated training tracks may impact resident preparedness and career choice but may be insufficient to influence practice behaviors related to delivering general medical care.
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Research reported in this study was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Mental Illness Research and Education Clinical Center (MIRECC), Portland, Oregon.
The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government.
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Dobscha, S.K., Snyder, K.M., Corson, K. et al. Psychiatry Resident Graduate Comfort With General Medical Issues: Impact of an Integrated Psychiatry-Primary Medical Care Training Track. Acad Psychiatry 29, 448–451 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.29.5.448
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.29.5.448