Today, the Globe is reporting on the lack of access to psychiatrists in the Boston area, based on a study conducted by two local hospital groups. Researchers called a number of psychiatric facilities and asked when the first available appointment is with a psychiatrist. In most cases, it was not for a while.
The hospital-based researchers used that as evidence that psychiatrists should be paid more. That prompted Blue Cross Blue Shield to say that the study was done just to be able to say that psychiatrists should be paid more. Well, of course. Who doesn't want to be paid more?
My issue with the study is that the researchers asked for appointments with psychiatrists. There are many more behavioral health clinicians qualified to treat depression. A psychologist, for example, would be fully qualified to treat depression and may have much more availability.
The main thing that a psychiatrist can do that other clinicians cannot is prescribe medication. Other clinicians ask for a psychiatrist to consult in a case where they might think medication is a good idea. It isn't always.
If I were to try this study again, I would call up those facilities and ask for someone who can treat depression. First available. I don't know what the results will be, but I would guess that a psychologist or nurse might be available in a shorter time than a psychiatrist.
Note:
In case you don't know the difference, a psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD or DO), who completed medical school and specializes in psychiatry. A psychologist completed a doctorate (PhD) in psychology, but is not a medical doctor. Nurses may also specialize in psychiatry, and there are a few other certifications such as Licensed Mental Health Clinician (LMHC) that allow certify a person to provide behavioral health treatment.
No comments:
Post a Comment