Fifty-five state and territorial commissioners of mental health and
chiefs of psychiatry at 158 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers
were surveyed about current policies related to psychiatrists' roles as
primary care providers in state and VA facilities. About half the
respondents indicated that psychiatrists provided primary medical care or
indicated interest in having psychiatrists provide such care. Less than
half of this group limited such care to specific patient populations, and
less than 25 percent required specific training for providers. The survey
results indicate that opportunities for psychiatrists to provide primary
care exist in many state and VA facilities but that no generally accepted
guidelines or training standards for such practice have been developed.
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