[Austrian Network for Psychosomatic Medicine: background, development and participation].
OBJECTIVE
Physicians as well as the general public need easy access to information on regional psychosomatic treatment options as can be provided by a network website. We therefore set out to explore the readiness of the Austrian psychosomatic community to participate in a network for Psychosomatic Medicine and actively contribute to its website.


METHODS
All Austrian psychosomatic societies and all psychosomatic in-patient facilities were addressed personally and/or by letter. Through articles published in medical journals, physicians in private practices specialized in psychosomatic-psychotherapeutic medicine were also invited to participate.


RESULTS
All departments of medical psychology and psychotherapy, all psychosomatic societies and all psychosomatic in-patient facilities in Austria decided to participate in this network. In addition, 100 physicians in private practice applied for registration in the network.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support the network concept and have led to its implementation, and clearly, the network should be further developed. The first precondition for its functioning seems to be met.
Fazekas
Christian
C
Medizinische Universität Graz, Universitätsklinik für Medizinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, Graz. christian.fazekas@meduni-graz.at
Stelzig
Manfred
M
Moser
Gabriele
G
Matzer
Franziska
F
Schüssler
Gerhard
G
Harnoncourt
Karl
K
Pieringer
Walter
W
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001317:Austria; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000639:trends*; D011611:Psychosomatic Medicine / Q000639:trends*