Frustrated by referral demands.(Letter to the editor)

Australian Doctor,  March, 2007  

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

Shahiron Sahari

EDITOR Regarding your article on psychologist-initiated referral requests from patients ('Mental health item conflict', 23 February), I have had several requests similar to the one quoted: "Just go back to your GP and get a bit of paper."

The patient often doesn't want to talk about their problem -- their attitude is, 'Just give me the damn referral!' This, in itself, is a cry for help and heralds the need for a long discussion. Referral to a psychologist may not be the next appropriate step -- it may be medication, referral to a psychiatrist, or even ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.