Process of Psychiatric Consultation in the Medical Setting

Psychiatric consultation in the general hospital differs greatly from consultation in psychiatric clinics or private offices due to the nature of the patients’ medical illnesses and the physical setting of the hospital. This review highlights these differences and describes the process of the in-hospital psychiatric consultation.

Psychiatric consultation in the general hospital differs greatly from consultation in psychiatric clinics or private offices due to the nature of the patients’ medical illnesses and the physical setting of the hospital. This review highlights these differences and describes the process of the in-hospital psychiatric consultation. We examine specialized patient populations and important consultation scenarios, as well as ways in which patients and physicians cope with medical illness. We address bedside recommendations for clinicians and examine some of the controversies in consultation-liaison psychiatry.