[Psychotherapy by medical doctors in primary care: an empirical investigation in South Baden, Germany].
OBJECTIVE
The present study investigates the kind and frequency of medical psychotherapy carried out in GPs' offices in South Baden, Germany.


METHODS
Established GPs and other primary-care physicians from South Baden (n = 64) who had successfully completed additional training in psychotherapy were queried about their current psychotherapeutical services using a questionnaire. The data were evaluated by applying descriptive and correlative statistical procedures.


RESULTS
The response rate was 93.8 % (n = 60). Standard psychotherapy short-term psychotherapies with up to 25 hours and long-term psychotherapies with up to 50 hours) had been supplied, with an average of 8.3 patients per doctor and quarter. Services rendered outside standard psychotherapy regimen including the approved services for basic psychosomatic care, especially short-term psychotherapeutic interventions of up to ten sessions, were performed with an average of 108.9 patients per doctor. As predictors for the performance of these services we found (1) patients with a high educational level (p = 0.002), (2) the cooperation with other psychosocial professional groups (p = 0.008), and (3) the participation in quality-assurance measurements (p = 0.009).


CONCLUSIONS
Physicians with additional training in psychotherapy offered a great amount of psychotherapeutical services not covered by the the standard psychotherapy guidelines of the national health services. These offers, borne primarily by idealism, should be acknowledged by new reward models in the future.
Abteilung für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Hauptstr. 8, 79104 Freiburg. kurt.fritzsche@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Kurt
K
Fritzsche
Michael Friedrich
MF
Schmitt
Matthias
M
Nübling
Michael
M
Wirsching
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult