Clinical health psychology in healthcare: Psychology's contributions to the medical team

Abstract

The specialty of clinical health psychology is focused on the intersection of, and interplay between, physical and behavioral health. Many clinical health psychologists are employed in medical settings and embedded within healthcare teams. While the value of clinical health psychologists in healthcare has been well documented, literature synthesizing the contributions of clinical health psychologists in optimizing outcomes in team-based healthcare is limited. In this article, we provide an overview of the history of the field of clinical health psychology, as well as current established training requirements and competencies, and models of professional practice within the medical setting. We clarify the unique contributions of clinical health psychologists as members of healthcare teams, highlighting areas of expertise in assessment, treatment, consultation, education, and advocacy. Specifically, we describe the ways in which clinical health psychologists partnering with medical providers to address psychological and behavioral factors in health and illness can optimize patient functioning, outcomes, and quality of life; improve healthcare policy; and streamline healthcare costs, above and beyond a traditional medical model. The Mayo Clinic Rochester practice in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology and Clinical Health Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship program are presented as an example to illustrate the ways in which clinical health psychologists integrate within healthcare teams and specialty areas to improve patients’ health, functioning, quality of life, and treatment outcomes. Overall, this paper explicitly outlines the value of the specialty within the healthcare setting.