Citation

Eisenman DP, Stein BD, Tanielian TL, Pincus HA. J. Gen. Intern Med. 2005; 20(8): 772-776.

Affiliation

Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. David_Eisenman@rand.org

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.0192.x

PMID

16050892

PMCID

PMC1490192

Abstract

This paper examines primary care physicians' (PCP) roles in helping the nation prepare for, respond to, and recover from the psychologic consequences of chemical, biologic, radiologic, or nuclear (CBRN) terrorism. First, we discuss the psychologic consequences of a CBRN attack and PCPs' roles in responding to these consequences. Second, we analyze these roles in light of the known barriers to delivering high-quality, primary care-based, mental health care. Third, we offer recommendations for mitigating these barriers and preparing PCPs to respond to the psychosocial consequences of a CBRN weapon. Importantly, our recommendations provide dual-use benefits to PCPs faced with the daily concerns of primary care mental health, including improved linkages and electronic connectivity with mental health, information technology, and decision support for providers, and needed education and research.

Language: en