| Primary care physicians are on the front line of patient intervention, and treat conditions ranging from the physical to the psychological on a daily basis. With their primary training focused on biological issues, physicians may be ill equipped when presented with psychological or mental health problems. The integration of a Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) into the primary care setting can help to bridge the gap between the physical and the psychological, allowing for a more comprehensive biopsychosocial approach to patient treatment. Two primary care medical clinics have recently collaborated in the establishment of an integrative primary care program utilizing Behavioral Health Consultants. Based on the overall results it was found that brief short-term therapy within the medical setting is an effective method for providing services to patients. The results indicated a significant change and reduction in patients' perceived level of distress, and significantly improved their global perception of overall wellbeing as well as high levels of both patient and physician satisfaction. |
