[Psychiatric interconsultation: concepts and development].

There has been an important development of consultation-liaison psychiatry in the last fifty years. Psychosocial factors and psychiatric symptoms which can be present in many somatic ilnesses have been considered as deserving of more specialized care. This could be achieved by a multidisciplinary team with the presence of a psychiatrist either permanently (consultation-liaison psychiatry) or episodically (psychiatric consultation). The Brazilian experience in this field can be illustrated describing the "Serviço de Interconsultasa do IPQ HC-FMUSP". Organized in 1979, this clinic has been rendering both psychiatric consultation and liaison work (which, from a practical point of view, are complementary services). The clinic is also involved with research and medical education. There is agreement that psychiatric care in a general hospital brings evident benefits to the patient, to the psychiatrist, to non-psychiatric physicians, and to other team members not only in terms of developing new professional opportunities, but also in terms of broadning the research field and improving medical education.