Sean Rushton
While family doctors often see patients who are struggling with mild to severe psychological problems, they rarely have the time or the training to effectively treat mental health issues. Thanks to funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, three University of Ottawa doctors will now studying the benefits of psychologists and family doctors collaborating on patient care.
“Integrating psychologists within family medicine clinics is expected to provide a positive experience to family practitioners, psychologists and patients alike,” says Dr. William Hogg of the Department of Family Medicine. “Even though our study has just started, this need has become overwhelmingly obvious.”
Dr. Hogg, director of CT Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre at the Elisabeth Bruyère Research Institute, where the study will be coordinated, is working together with Professors Pierre Ritchie and Jean Grenier from the School of Psychology and Dr. Chomienne-Abboud, a family doctor at the Montfort Hospital.
The goal of the study is to develop a true interdisciplinary collaboration between physicians and psychologists in a family medicine practice. The collaboration – firmly anchored by principles such as physician-psychologist proximity and the sharing of medical records – is expected to lead to better diagnosis and treatment and to improve the quality of patients’ lives.
“That’s the thrust of our study,” explains principle investigator Dr. Jean Grenier, a position he shares with fellow researcher Dr. Chomienne-Abboud, “to try and look for new and different ways of improving primary health care for all people.”
Dr. Hogg expects results from the study to start coming in by April 2006.
C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre
