Introduction by Steven S. Sharftein, M.D., column editor: In this era of prospective payment and efforts to contain medical care costs through increased efficiency, consultation-liaison psychiatry has high promise as one of the more cost-effective tools to reduce expensive hospital care. It is, however, one of the least reimbursed services in the hospital today. This month's column calls attention to the fiscal dilemmas confronting consultation-liaison psychiatry but leaves the reader with a sense of optimism about its future.
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