Scope of the Problem

• As many as 80% of patients scheduled for primary care visits for evaluation of common symptoms such as dizziness, chest pain, and fatigue, have no organic cause for their symptoms (American Journal of Medicine, 86, 262-266)
• 50-70% of a physician’s normal caseload consists of patients whose medical ailments are significantly related to psychological factors (Psychotherapy, 25, 335-343)
• 25% of all patients seen by primary care physicians have disabling psychiatric disorders (American Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 52-57)
• 63% of patients requiring long-term medical care were identified as having significant psychiatric disturbance (Archives of Internal Medicine, 140, 1286-1289)
• Patients in primary care medical settings who have diagnosable mental disorders average twice as many visits to their primary care physicians as those without a mental disorder (Archives of General Psychiatry, 42, 573-580)

Solution: Integrated Behavioral Health Care

• Patients who received psychotherapy in primary care settings showed a dramatic reduction in subsequent use of medical services (American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 465-469)
• Primary care patients with somaticizing symptoms who receive mental health intervention accumulate half the annual medical charges of patients who receive only primary care services (Archives of General Psychiatry, 52, 238-243)
• Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who received psychological intervention showed a significant reduction in clinical CAD events and decreased medical care costs at 5 year follow up compared with patients who received usual cardiac care or usual cardiac care coupled with exercise intervention (American Journal of Cardiology, 89, 164-168)
• Patients with irritable bowel syndrome who were taught self-management skills had reduced GI problems, psychological distress, interruptions of daily living, and improved self-reported quality of life at 1-year follow up (Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2(7), 585-596)

Florida Medical Psychology Associates, LLC will consult with your practice to determine the unique needs of your patient population. We will develop a program that can be delivered directly in your practice to facilitate continuity of care and a comfortable environment for your patients to receive mental health services.

If you would like to discuss integrating behavioral health care services within your medical practice, please click here.