[Office-based psychosomatic medicine with a focus on acute care]

Objectives: In Germany, the office-based psychosomatic medicine with focus on acute care offers psychosomatic treatment besides primary care by general practitioners and regular psychotherapy. The aim of this study is to determine specific characteristics of these innovative office-based practices. Methods: In a qualitative cross-sectional study, twelve board-certified specialists in psychosomatic medicine, practicing office-based psychosomatic medicine were surveyed by means of semi-structured telephone-interviews. After transcription and coding in MAXQDA 2020, a content analysis was conducted. Results: The innovative practice model was characterized by high numbers of initial contacts in walk-in or pre-planned consultation hours. Besides regular psychotherapy long-term and low-threshold treatment was offered. Physician assistants organised the workflow and administrative tasks. For settlement the EBM-number psychosomatic interview or short-term treatment was used. Focusses were set on somatopsychic and socio-medical treatment and consultant support. Psychotherapy often was realised in form of group sessions by integrating behavioural and psychodynamic psychotherapy. Discussion: The innovative psychosomatic practice model with focus on acute care shows an independent profile. A treatment based on medical understanding of complex somatic disease processes can be provided to somatopsychic patients. Future studies should compare this practice model to psychosomatic practices receiving a treatment by guideline psychotherapy. Conclusions: In Germany, the practices of psychosomatic medicine with a focus on acute care closes an increasing gap in psychosomatic care and augments treatment possibilities, especially for elderly and multimorbid patients.