[Teaching survey for consultation-liaison psychiatry]

Abstract

Background: Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry plays a major role in the training and clinical activity during the General Psychiatry Residency. Nevertheless, our national residency program for Psychiatry does not define either goals or distinct activities for the C-L Psychiatry rotation.

Methods: In order to: a) assess its current situation within the official teaching centers in Spain and b) determine the perceived opinion of the residents; a 41 item survey was mailed to 253 third and fourth year residents in Psychiatry to evaluate organizational issues of the C-L services, main aspects of this rotation, perceived quality, level of satisfaction and training needs.

Results: At least one resident from 40 out of the 67 accredited training centers answered the survey. The information gathered shown, as it was foreseen, that C-L training within the general psychiatry residency is very heterogeneous; furthermore it was documented some unsatisfaction regarding both the level of supervision and the rotation itself.

Conclusions: Future studies are needed to get a closer look at all these aspects in order to improve the quality of both the rotation in C-L psychiatry and the standards of the C-L service itself. This endeavour shall benefit the training in C-L Psychiatry of the future spanish general psychiatrists.