An evaluation of pediatrician satisfaction with current models of psychological collaboration

For the last 80 years, there has been a call for psychologists to work closely with pediatricians to more effectively manage patient care. Despite the recognitionand practice of collaboration over this time period, there has been very little research to determine how satisfied pediatricians are with characteristics of collaboration within their current collaborative models. In an attempt to assess this satisfaction, 452 surveys were mailed to pediatricians in areas of three states. The surveys assessed demographic information, including the type ofcollaborative model in which the pediatricians were involved, and asked the pediatricians to rate their satisfaction with characteristics of collaboration basedupon a 5-point Likert-type scale. The scale ranged from 1being not satisfied at all to 5 being completely satisfied. Of the 138 responses received, 120pediatricians reported referring patients to psychologists. Of those, 90% collaborated via the Independent Functions Model. Within this group, the pediatricians were generally satisfied with the characteristics of collaboration. The two characteristics with which the pediatricians were least satisfied were both related to communication