title: Readings on psychosomatic medicine: survey of resources for trainees.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As systems of care become more complex and comorbid medical and psychiatric illness becomes more evident, it is essential to prepare psychiatric trainees for practice in more integrated models of care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to identify readings available for residency training in consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry/psychosomatic medicine with the intent to help educators and trainees identify appropriate and essential learning resources within the field.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed readings available to the residents (including commonly used textbooks in C-L psychiatry and C-L training programs' required reading lists) and identified areas of consensus regarding the topics germane to the care of patients with comorbid medical and psychiatric illness (namely depression, dementia, and delirium) and the education of trainees.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was considerable variation in the references cited by well-regarded textbooks and by reading lists created for trainees in C-L psychiatry. In the 4 textbooks reviewed, there were 83 shared citations on delirium (including 10 citations that were common to all 4 textbooks and 17 citations shared by 3 textbooks). Markedly less overlap was noted in the chapters on depression (only 2 references cited in all of the textbooks with relevant content) and dementia (only 7 shared references).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the paucity of overlap of citations in commonly used textbooks, we recommend that practical topical reviews or textbook chapters be used as core (required) or recommended readings for residents on C-L psychiatry rotations, supplemented by a small number of studies or case series that illustrate key teaching points on each essential topic.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (MN, TAS). Electronic address: mnisavic@partners.org.
authors.forename: Mladen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nisavic
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (JLS).
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Shuster
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA (DG).
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gitlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (LW); Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (LW).
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Worley
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (MN, TAS).
authors.forename: Theodore A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Stern
mesh_terms: D001877:Books; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D011611:Psychosomatic Medicine / Q000193:education*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013782:Textbooks as Topic