The medical director of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, an advocacy organization in Arlington, Va., said the association does not have an official position on the role of primary care physicians vs. mental health specialists in treating behavioral health disorders. Anxiety and depression often masquerade as physical illness. But even though it's important to help primary care physicians find better ways to diagnose and treat behavioral health problems, said Dr. Cowdry, he noted that it's also important for guidelines to be developed regarding when patients should be referred to psychiatrists or other mental health specialists. Back to top. How it works Patient completes a series of questions using an interactive telephone system.
Computer program analyzes the patient's responses.
Results are faxed or e-mailed to primary care physician's office within 10 minutes. Results include diagnosis and suggested treatment options. Patient completes monthly follow-up assessments to measure treatment progress.