Am J Psychiatry 1978; 135:1380-1383
Copyright © 1978 by American Psychiatric Association
A marketplace model of consultation psychiatry in the general hospital
FG Guggenheim
The manner in which internists and surgeons view potential psychiatric
consultations is analogous to the way in which consumers evalute a service
or product in the marketplace. Factors that determine a purchase or a
consultation request include 1) perception of need, 2) prior attitude and
experience, 3) projected image, 4) availability, and 5) cost/benefit ratio.
The author presents a model of psychiatric consultation, with similarities
between research and development, manufacturing and merchandising phases on
the one hand, and negotiation, investigation, and implementation phases on
the other.
