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Consultants’ Conflicts: A Case Discussion of Differences and Their Resolution

Received November 3, 2006; revised November 9, 2006; accepted November 20, 2006. From the Dept. of Psychiatry, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; the Dept. of Psychiatry, Columbia Univ. Medical Center, New York, NY; and Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Univ. Medical School, Boston, MA. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Jason P. Caplan, Dept. of Psychiatry, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. e-mail: jpcaplan{at}gmail.com
© 2008 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine

Conflicts among consultants are frequent in general hospitals. Unfortunately, such disputes are rarely resolved to the satisfaction of all concerned. The authors discuss the conflicts that may arise among consultants and review techniques that can lead to more effective collaboration. Authors review the literature on consultants’ conflicts and discuss strategies for their resolution. They present the case of a man with neuropsychiatric symptoms and discuss how practitioners of psychiatry and neurology often approach differential diagnosis, work-up, and treatment of challenging cases. The consultants were able to find several points of agreement and generated a workable plan that led to improvement in the patient’s symptoms. Conflict among medical consultants is poorly described in the literature. However, an understanding of conflict and strategies for its resolution can lead to improved patient care. Conflict is a common and virtually unavoidable aspect of multidisciplinary care. However, effective tools exist that can help physicians embrace, rather than avoid, conflict, and lead to more effective collaboration. Effective management of interdisciplinary conflict improves communication, assists in medical decision-making, and, most importantly, improves the delivery of patient care.

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