Medically oriented psychiatry: an approach to improving the quality of mental health care

To assure the consumer of the highest quality cost-effective mental health care, the author argues for the use of a proper "medical model" when care is delivered. He also argues that psychiatrists must deal with the whole person-both his psyche and his soma. The author discusses the role of the medically oriented psychiatrist, and presents a case study that demonstrates the interplay between a patient's psyche and soma. In addition, he introduces a four-step principle, to be incorporated into all health insurance plans, that will ensure that a patient's physical and psychological problems will be dealt with together and that he will receive quality health care.