A marketplace model of consultation psychiatry in the general hospital.

The manner in which internists and surgeons view potential psychiatric consultations is analogous to the way in which consumers evalute a service or product in the marketplace. Factors that determine a purchase or a consultation request include 1) perception of need, 2) prior attitude and experience, 3) projected image, 4) availability, and 5) cost/benefit ratio. The author presents a model of psychiatric consultation, with similarities between research and development, manufacturing and merchandising phases on the one hand, and negotiation, investigation, and implementation phases on the other.