[Teaching survey for consultation-liaison psychiatry].

BACKGROUND

Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry plays a major role in the training and clinical activity during the General Psychiatry Residency. Nevertheless, our national residency program for Psychiatry does not define either goals or distinct activities for the C-L Psychiatry rotation.

METHODS

In order to: a) assess its current situation within the official teaching centers in Spain and b) determine the perceived opinion of the residents; a 41 item survey was mailed to 253 third and fourth year residents in Psychiatry to evaluate organizational issues of the C-L services, main aspects of this rotation, perceived quality, level of satisfaction and training needs.

RESULTS

At least one resident from 40 out of the 67 accredited training centers answered the survey. The information gathered shown, as it was foreseen, that C-L training within the general psychiatry residency is very heterogeneous; furthermore it was documented some unsatisfaction regarding both the level of supervision and the rotation itself.

CONCLUSIONS

Future studies are needed to get a closer look at all these aspects in order to improve the quality of both the rotation in C-L psychiatry and the standards of the C-L service itself. This endeavour shall benefit the training in C-L Psychiatry of the future spanish general psychiatrists.