Training family medicine residents to practice collaboratively with psychology trainees.

Objective: This article will describe a training curriculum for family medicine residents to practice collaboratively with psychology (doctoral) trainees at the Wayne State University/Crittenton Family Medicine Residency program.

Methods: The collaborative care curriculum involves a series of patient care and educational activities that require collaboration between family medicine residents and psychology trainees. Activities include: (1) clinic huddle, (2) shadowing, (3) pull-ins and warm handoffs, (4) co-counseling, (5) shared precepting, (6) feedback from psychology trainees to family medicine residents regarding consults, brief interventions, and psychological testing, (7) lectures, (8) video-observation and feedback, (9) home visits, and (10) research. The activities were designed to teach the participants to work together as a team and to provide a reciprocal learning experience.

Results: In a brief three-item survey of residents at the end of their academic year, 83% indicated that they had learned new information or techniques from working with the psychology trainees for assessment and intervention purposes; 89% indicated that collaborating with psychology trainees enhanced their patient care; and 89% indicated that collaborating with psychology trainees enhanced their ability to work as part of a team. Informal interviews with the psychology trainees indicated that reciprocal learning had taken place.

Conclusions: Family medicine residents can learn to work collaboratively with psychology trainees through a series of shared patient care and educational activities within a primary care clinic where an integrated approach to care is valued.