A Proposal for Psychiatric Collaboration in Managed Care

Abstract

Managed care has had a significant impact on the biopsychosocial model as seen through patient-psychiatrist relationships. Nonmedical therapists, primary-care physicians, and third- and fourth-party administrators have played an increasingly visible role in managed-care delivery systems and are now considered part of the treatment team. Several vignettes are presented to illustrate some of the difficulties encountered in this type of expanded arragement. The needs of each party can best be served through a model that relies on collaboration rather than competition.