Psychiatric consulting in primary care

The psychiatric consultation is broadly defined as an educational relationship between a psychiatrist, a general practitioner and other professionals working in the area of Mental Health. Currently it is a fundamental tool to optimize the treatment of psychiatric patients in primary care, given the high prevalence of these conditions and limited access to hours of specialty. Psychiatric Consulting is centrally positioned because patients are generally reluctant to consult with specialists, either because of the stigma associated with psychiatric illness or the cost effectiveness of the specialty. This leads patients to consult in primary care. Therefore we were interested in reviewing the evidence supporting this activity and what are the benefits it delivers. After reviewing the literature we conclude that the Psychiatric Consultation helps to improve the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of psychiatric disorders in primary care, particularly the management of depressive disorders and somatoform disorders, improving the resolution capabilities of general practitioners, thus lowering the associated healthcare costs of these conditions. There is no evidence to support the health benefits of training general practitioners.