Psychiatry and Group Medical Practice: The Diagnostic Process, Referral Patterns, and Utilization of Services
JAMES W. CRAWFORD M.D., PH.D.1, and
SUSAN CRAWFORD PH.D.2
1 Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Abraham Lincoln School of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, Ill.
2 Associate Professor, School of Library Service, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
Group practice has emerged during the past decade as a major organizational form for the delivery of health care. Psychiatry, however, has been found to be the least inclined of the larger medical specialties toward participation in such groups. The authors compare data on diagnosis and referral patterns from several groups. They found that short-term psychiatric care is consistently associated with a decrease in the utilization of ancillary and medical services within the group practice setting.
