An expert consensus on core competencies in integrated care for psychiatrists

All psychiatry residents in Canada are required to train in integrated care (also known as "shared care" or "collaborative care"). We sought to define the competencies required for integrated care practice, with an emphasis on those competencies necessary for all psychiatric postgraduate learners regardless of their intended future practice setting or population.

We conducted a mixed methods study including qualitative interviews with nine psychiatrists practicing integrated care across Canada and a quantitative survey of 35 experts using a modified Delphi method.

Our participants believed that integrated care aims to build capacity for improved quality of mental health care in unspecialized settings, and as such, its practice requires broad clinical expertise as well as competencies in interprofessional teamwork, collaborative leadership, knowledge exchange and program consultation. All psychiatrists require knowledge of evidence-based models of integrated care and the ability to work with organizations to implement these models.

Psychiatrists are best prepared for integrated care practice through clinical exposure to primary care and/or community settings, as well as didactic teaching regarding the evidence for integrated care, quality improvement methods, leadership, health systems and population health.