The Primary Care Physician's Guide to Common Psychiatric and Neurologic Problems: Advice on Evaluation and Treatment from Johns Hopkins

by Phillip R. Slavney MD (Editor), Orest Hurko MD (Editor)

Overview

This concise volume advises primary care physicians on how to recognize, evaluate, and treat common psychiatric and neurologic complaints in patients with medical illness. Patients with these problems used to be referred to specialists, but under the current system of health care they are increasingly being evaluated and treated by internists and family practitioners.

The book contains twelve problem-focused chapters, each written by a specialist faculty member of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who is experienced in consulting with primary care physicians. The problems discussed are sadness, nervousness, forgetfulness, unrealistic concerns about health, suicidal thoughts, alcoholism and drug dependence, weakness, numbness, back pain, headaches, dizziness, and tremor. Screening evaluations for psychiatric and neurologic disorders are also outlined and explained.

The book is designed to serve as both an introduction and a convenient reference. The authors emphasize improving communication with patients about issues of diagnosis and treatment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801865541
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	03/28/2001
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.59(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Phillip R. Slavney, M.D., is the Eugene Meyer III Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of Psychiatric Dimensions of Medical Practice, coeditor of The Primary Care Physician's Guide to Common Psychiatric and Neurologic Problems, and coauthor of The Perspectives of Psychiatry, all available from Johns Hopkins.

Table of Contents

Part I. Psychiatric Problems
Chapter 1. Screening Psychiatric Evaluation, Karin J. Neufeld
Chapter 2. Sadness, John R. Lipsey
Chapter 3. Nervousness, Michael R. Clark
Chapter 4. Forgetfulness, Peter V. Rabins
Chapter 5. Unrealistic Concerns about Health, Mark L. Teitelbaum
Chapter 6. Suicidal Thoughts, Dean F. MacKinnon
Chapter 7. Dependence on Alcohol or Drugs, Alan J. Romanoski
Part II. Neurological Problems
Chapter 8. Screening Neurological Evaluation, Orest Hurko
Chapter 9. Weakness, Richard O'Brien
Chapter 10. Numbness or Tingling, Vinay Chaudry
Chapter 11. Back Pain, John Dean Rybock
Chapter 12. Headaches, David W. Buchholz
Chapter 13. Dizzy Spells, Peter W. Kaplan
Chapter 14. Tremor, Stephen G. Reich

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

A ready reference or 'handbook' for the primary care practitioner. The symptom-centered chapters and straightforward language will make this volume very useful in the busy practitioner's office.
—Paul Paulman, M.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center

Paul Paulman

A ready reference or 'handbook' for the primary care practitioner. The symptom-centered chapters and straightforward language will make this volume very useful in the busy practitioner's office.

— Paul Paulman, M.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Thomas P. Guck, Ph.D.(Creighton University Medical Center)
Description: This concise reference describes 12 common psychiatric and neurologic complaints of adults seen by primary care physicians.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide busy primary care physicians with a resource that describes the usual presentation of these common psychiatric and neurologic complaints. Clinical assessment, initial treatment, and specialty referral advice is given for each complaint. The authors do an excellent job of accomplishing their important objective for primary care physicians.
Audience: This book is written for primary care physicians. Medical students, residents, and mental health professionals who work in a medical setting will also find it valuable. Each chapter is written by a highly qualified faculty member of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Features: The book is divided into two sections. The psychiatric and neurologic sections each begin with a very good introduction to general screening issues. Each section contains six problem-focused chapters, the titles of which generally reflect words patients use, such as "sadness" or "dizzy spells." Summary tables in each chapter effectively present a large amount of material in a concise and user-friendly manner. References are representative, but slightly dated.
Assessment: This excellent, concise book is a practical, easy to use resource for the busy primary care physician. It compares favorably with any short overview presentation of psychiatric or neurologic symptoms.

Doody's Review Service

A very informative text that does an excellent job of introducing to some and presenting to others effective approaches to psychiatric and neurological symptoms.

— M. Ojinga HarrisonMDDuke University Medical Center

Journal of Pscychosomatic Research

"A very informative text that does an excellent job of introducing to some and presenting to others effective approaches to psychiatric and neurological symptoms."

Journal of Pscychosomatic Research - M. Ojinga HarrisonMDDuke University Medical Center

3 Stars from Doody

A ready reference or 'handbook' for the primary care practitioner. The symptom-centered chapters and straightforward language will make this volume very useful in the busy practitioner's office.

Paul Paulman

Faculty specialists at the prestigious Baltimore medical school offer 12 problem-focused chapters with titles that generally reflect words patients use. They describe the usual presentation of the problems in adults, and its major causes, then provide advice on clinical assessment, initial treatment, and referral to specialists. The short reference speaks to a need as an increasingly profit-hungry medical industry fines doctors for questionable referrals. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

This excellent, concise book is a practical, easy to use resource for the busy primary care physician. It compares favorably with any short overview presentation of psychiatric or neurologic symptoms.
—Doody's Health Sciences Review

A very informative text that does an excellent job of introducing to some and presenting to others effective approaches to psychiatric and neurological symptoms.
—M. Ojinga HarrisonMDDuke University Medical Center, Journal of Pscychosomatic Research

From the Publisher