Overview The purpose of this chapter is to give psychiatric providers of consultation-liaison (C-L) services an understanding of the complex business aspects of their work. Understanding that appropriately adhering to the often-confusing guidelines for reimbursement can be stressful to clinicians…
Overview The practice of medicine is focused on disease, not health, and on treatment, not primary prevention. Therefore, it is not surprising that physicians have difficulty maintaining their own health, minimizing stress, and preventing burnout in their own lives. The…
Overview Historical trends in psychiatry over the last century mirrored developments in the U.S. healthcare system more broadly that promoted system re-design to provide safer and more personalized, cost-effective, and high-quality health care. Care re-design in the treatment of psychiatric…
Overview Legal issues are common and acknowledged, although rarely welcomed, aspects of modern medicine. Physicians respond to these issues in various ways, ranging from denial of their existence, to resentment at the perceived intrusion into the patient care they create,…
Overview Race, ethnicity, and culture may all exert a tremendous impact on medical diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. This is especially true in psychiatry, given the prominent role that culture plays in patients' interpretation and management of symptoms that fall within…
Overview Psychiatric consultation to obstetric patients typically involves evaluating and treating an array of psychopathology. Once thought to be a time of emotional well-being for women, studies now suggest that pregnancy does not protect women from the emergence or persistence…
Overview The United States population over the age of 65 years has been increasing dramatically, reflecting improvements in health, nutrition, and medical care for the elderly. Illness (both medical and psychiatric) increases with advancing age in part due to stressful…
Overview Pediatric psychiatry consults are requested to address a diverse set of issues and needs. Similar to the work involving adult psychiatric consultations, the child psychiatrist evaluates the patient, acts as a liaison to the medical and nursing staff, manages…
With more than 2.6 million deaths each year in the United States, providing both competent and compassionate care for patients at the end of life is a crucial task for physicians. The Institute of Medicine identified end-of-life care as one…
Introduction Over the past 20 years, emergency psychiatry has developed into an independent subspecialty practice within psychiatry. Although formal board certification requirements are lacking, all accredited US psychiatric residency-training programs follow minimum training guidelines for emergency psychiatry. The emergence of…