Some structural changes that might facilitate the development of behavioral medicine.

Three types of organizational change are considered that may facilitate the development of behavioral medicine teaching, practice, and research over the next decade. The first and most critical of these changes is a consideration of the role of a Department of Behavioral Medicine within the medical school. The second is support for the development of research collaborations across centers, with the advantage of bringing a broader array of expertise and facilities to the solution of health problems. Finally, some changes in the role and organization of scientific societies that support behavioral medicine are considered. It is argued that, without such changes, behavioral medicine will become overly narrow in its focus and will not have the impact on the medical arena that it might otherwise have.