Psychiatry and Group Medical Practice: The Diagnostic Process, Referral Patterns, and Utilization of Services

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.