Publication
Article
Psychiatric Times
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Author(s):
Key Takeaways
- Collaborative care enhances patient outcomes, with 75% receiving timely diagnosis and treatment versus less than 25% with standard care.
- Effective collaborative care includes population-based care, measurement-based care, care management, psychiatric consultation, and brief evidence-based psychotherapy.
While health care is no game, we certainly are all a team, striving together toward 1 united goal: improving patient care and outcomes.
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You have heard it all before: There’s no I in team. Unity is strength. Success is best when it’s shared. While health care is no game, we certainly are all a team, striving together toward 1 united goal: improving patient care and outcomes.
One of the most important and interesting collaborations is the one that unites clinicians across specialties. According to research, 75% of patients treated with collaborative interventions receive diagnosis and begin treatment within 6 months; on the other hand, when treated as usual, less than 25% of patients receive appropriate care within the same amount of time.1 Experts believe effective collaborative care consists of 5 important components: population-based care, measurement-based care, care management, psychiatric consultation, and brief evidence-based psychotherapy.2
In this month’s CME article, we highlight psychodermatology and the multidisciplinary work that takes place between mental health clinicians, dermatologists, and social workers. Psychiatry, often considered an internal focus, strongly contrasts with the very external dermatology—but they are connected by the complex relationship between neuroendocrine and immune systems. This article underscores the need for holistic care for patients, going far deeper than the skin.
As you strive to meet escalating clinical demand, cross-collaboration can become difficult. We hope that you will continue to rely on us as your source for all things related to mental health, no matter the breadth.
Mike Hennessy Jr
President and CEO, MJH Life Sciences
References
1. Guo T, Xiang YT, Xiao L, et al. Measurement-based care versus standard care for major depression: a randomized controlled trial with blind raters. Am J Psychiatry. 2015;172(10):1004-1013.
2. Kroenke K, Unutzer J. Closing the false divide: sustainable approaches to integrating mental health services into primary care. J Gen Intern Med. 2017;32(4):404-410.
