The Role of Psychologists in Primary Care: An Integrative Curriculum
Psychologists have been service providers in the health care sector for many years. They are consistently recognized as valued members of health care teams but are not frequently included as primary care providers. Integrated primary care services that include psychologists are a positive step toward achieving a comprehensive model of patient care. The biopsychosocial model is suggested to supplant the current biomedical model for health and wellness conceptualization. Psychologists are trained in the dynamic interplay between biological, psychological, and social domains. However, education at the graduate level for psychologists working specifically in primary care has not been well conceptualized, developed or implemented. This paper reviews psychology’s history in relation to medicine, psychologists’ roles in health care, and the necessary training and skills to work successfully in primary care. An integrative graduate training curriculum for this purpose is presented.
Psychiatry and Psychology, Primary Health Care; Curriculum; Psychology, Medical.
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