The Behavioral Medicine Service: An administrative model for biopsychosocial medical care, teaching, and research

Abstract

The biopsychosocial model has been promoted for its advantages in many important health problems. However, the lack of administrative practice models specifically designed to develop and promote the model hinder the development of systematic clinical applications. This article describes a successful clinical teaching and research practice, The Behavioral Medicine Service, that was conceptualized and developed based on the biopsychosocial model. Systematic planning enabled the service to take advantage of clinical, research, and teaching opportunities and to reduce the constraints imposed on development from within psychiatry and the institution. Advantages of the organizational model include multidisciplinary treatment teams, a systematic method of biopsychosocial assessment and management planning, and continuity of care between several settings: the medical-surgical wards of a general hospital; a behavioral medicine inpatient unit; and outpatient subspecialty clinics for chronic pain, chronic medical illness, anxiety and stress-related disorders, and drug and alcohol abuse. The Human Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory forms the research arm of the service. Referrals of a diversity of medical and psychiatric problems create a unique learning opportunity for residents. Billing for multimodal team treatment, training residents, establishing clinical research, and managing a plethora of referrals were developmental challenges addressed by the service.