Models of collaboration

For primary care clinicians to address the complex needs of their patient population, they must be able to collaborate with mental health professionals. Collaborative health care represents the creation of a new health care paradigm, and collaborative health care delivery systems mirror the complexities of human suffering. Clinicians from multiple disciplines can combine resources and strategies to share responsibility for their patients and with their patients. A brief review of the history of mind/body split and the resulting professional separatism is followed by sections on the spirit of collaboration, the spectrum of collaboration, key ingredients for effective collaboration, and some thoughts about the future of collaboration. A special practical section on getting started and following through is included.