Kommunikation, Kooperation und Austausch mit Psychotherapeut*innen aus der Sicht von Primärversorger*innen – Befragungsergebnisse im Rahmen des Projekts „Evaluation der Psychotherapie-Richtlinie“

Abstract

Background

General practitioners (GPs) and psychotherapists fulfill a variety of functions in the care for individuals with mental illness. However, little is currently known about the exchange and communication between these two groups. To address this gap, an exploratory study has been conducted from the perspective of primary care providers to analyze the nature of exchange and communication with psychotherapists.

Methodology

A standardized cross-sectional survey was conducted among primary care providers for adults (PEW) and children/adolescents (PKJ) as part of the ’Evaluation of the Psychotherapy Guideline’ project. In July 2021, a random sample from the pool of a target group of specialists with N = 1,700 people from each group were contacted by mail. Another random sample of N = 1,700 from each group was contacted in November 2021. The survey questionnaire included, among other things, questions about the exchange with psychotherapists. The exploratory analysis was descriptive.

Results

A total of N = 255 and N = 444 valid survey questionnaires from PEW and PKJ was analyzed. The majority of primary care providers are over 50 years old (PEW 72.8%; PKJ 62.0%), and more than half are female (PEW 53.8%; PKJ 53.7%). As reported by PEW, the primary modes of communication and exchange with psychotherapists are via written correspondence (20.4%) and telephone (18.0%). For PKJ, the predominant mode of communication is by phone (22.6%). The majority of primary care providers expressed their dissatisfaction with the exchange with psychotherapists, with the highest rates being observed during (PEW 60.8%; PKJ 47.4%) and after referral (PEW 57.4%; PKJ 49.2%). Satisfaction is influenced by a number of factors, including integration into networks, which has been shown to have a positive effect.

Conclusion

The cross-sectional survey provides insight into the communication and collaboration between primary care providers and psychotherapists. To facilitate improvements, further research is needed on the barriers to interdisciplinary cooperation and communication.