Psychologists' membership on the medical staff of university teaching hospitals.

Abstract

Psychologists on the faculties of this country's 115 schools of medicine were surveyed to ascertain whether or not they were full voting members of the medical staff of their university hospital. The results indicate that despite the fact that some of these teaching hospitals had dropped psychologists from full membership on the medical staff following the recent rounds of hospital reaccreditation site visits by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH), 6 of these hospitals have recently amended their bylaws to include qualified psychologists as full voting members. A review of the JCAH accreditation policies reveals that the medical staff of a hospital has more discretion in this area than previously may have been apparent.

Psychologists' medical staff membership in academic healthcare: Past, present, and future challenges.

“…Whereas the 1976 survey represented individuals from 115 medical schools, the more recent sample reported here represents individual from among 133 U.S. medical schools, an increase of 18 medical schools. In the Matarazzo et al (1978) data, only 12% of respondents were either full (n = 6) or associate (n = 6) members of the actual medical staff, and 31% had some "special membership" category, revealing that only a minority (i.e., 43%) had some type of formal designation.…”

“…The reasoning behind hospitals' hesitation to provide psychologists with full medical staff membership is unknown. Matarazzo et al (1978) made the poignant observation that medical school psychologists and their physician colleagues were unaware of problems with psychologists functioning as members of their hospitals' medical staff. Moreover, Clayson and Mensh (1987) noted that psychologists played a vital educational role in academic medicine for about 100 years.…”

“…Additionally, 98 of them also responded to a 1977 follow-up survey of psychologists in medical schools (Matarazzo et al, 1978). The data from 1976 was published with that of the 1977 survey (Matarazzo et al, 1978), and comparisons revealed that the medical staff membership for psychologists dropped off dramatically, presumably in part due to the JCAH citations. Although, in the earlier survey, 46 (41%) of the psychologists indicated that their medical schools allowed psychologists as full voting members, the follow-up revealed a precipitous decline to just six (6%).…”

Role of the psychologist on a radical head and neck surgical service team.

“…The practice of psychology in a hospital raises issues involving training, ideologies, parity, and privileges (Matarazzo, 1978). It is a complex, compelling, and challenging area for professional growth and diversity (Do'rken, Webb, & Zaro, 1982).…”

The hospital practice of psychology: An interstate comparison.

“…With this growing presence of psychologists in health facilities, it is hardly surprising to find that they have come to be interested in hospital licensing and accreditation criteria, as these factors impinge upon and frequently restrict the practice of psychology (Dorken & Morrison, 1976;Matarazzo, Lubin, & Nathan, 1978). Indeed, the Model Psychologist Direct Recognition Bill, approved by the Health Insurance Association of America and approved as policy by the American Psychological Association's Council HERBERT DORKEN is an Adjunct Professor and Research Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco and also Health Services Consultant to the California State Psychological Association.…”