TY - JOUR
KW - Attitude of Health Personnel
KW - Behavioral Medicine
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Faculty, Medical
KW - Family Practice/education/methods
KW - Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
KW - Humans
KW - Internship and Residency
KW - Physician's Practice Patterns
KW - Physicians, Family
KW - Questionnaires
KW - Referral and Consultation
AU - O. Oyama
AU - S. G. Kosch
AU - M. A. Burg
AU - T. E. Spruill
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Family medicine integrates psychosocial factors (behavioral, psychological, cognitive, social, and cultural) into the comprehensive medical care of patients. Behavioral medicine is the discipline representing the contribution of the behavioral sciences to medicine and encompasses a broad field of knowledge and practice. This research explores the understanding of the scope and practice of behavioral medicine among academic family physicians. METHODS: Surveys were administered to physicians at nine family medicine residency programs in Florida. RESULTS: Study participants reported being trained in and using behavioral medicine techniques and consultants with patients. Behavioral medicine was valued as a collection of techniques for the prevention and treatment of physical and psychiatric illness. Physicians emphasized the utility of behavioral specialists' skills in conditions with strong psychological components compared to other chronic medical conditions. Behavioral medicine techniques were associated with traditional psychotherapeutic interventions and often provided by nonpsychiatric physicians. Many physicians categorized behavioral medicine as a type of complementary and alternative medicine. CONCLUSIONS: Behavioral medicine is valued but not strongly identified as a distinct discipline, which might affect its use. This may explain why behavioral medicine skills were differentially valued for the prevention and treatment of psychiatric illness compared to medical illness.
BT - Family medicine
C5 - Education & Workforce
CP - 8
CY - United States
IS - 8
JF - Family medicine
N2 - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Family medicine integrates psychosocial factors (behavioral, psychological, cognitive, social, and cultural) into the comprehensive medical care of patients. Behavioral medicine is the discipline representing the contribution of the behavioral sciences to medicine and encompasses a broad field of knowledge and practice. This research explores the understanding of the scope and practice of behavioral medicine among academic family physicians. METHODS: Surveys were administered to physicians at nine family medicine residency programs in Florida. RESULTS: Study participants reported being trained in and using behavioral medicine techniques and consultants with patients. Behavioral medicine was valued as a collection of techniques for the prevention and treatment of physical and psychiatric illness. Physicians emphasized the utility of behavioral specialists' skills in conditions with strong psychological components compared to other chronic medical conditions. Behavioral medicine techniques were associated with traditional psychotherapeutic interventions and often provided by nonpsychiatric physicians. Many physicians categorized behavioral medicine as a type of complementary and alternative medicine. CONCLUSIONS: Behavioral medicine is valued but not strongly identified as a distinct discipline, which might affect its use. This may explain why behavioral medicine skills were differentially valued for the prevention and treatment of psychiatric illness compared to medical illness.
PP - United States
PY - 2009
SN - 1938-3800; 0742-3225
SP - 578
EP - 584
EP - 
T1 - Understanding the scope and practice of behavioral medicine in family medicine
T2 - Family medicine
TI - Understanding the scope and practice of behavioral medicine in family medicine
U1 - Education & Workforce
U2 - 19724943
VL - 41
VO - 1938-3800; 0742-3225
Y1 - 2009
ER -