Diagnostics and treatment in psychosomatic primary care - a comparison between the eastern and western part of Berlin

It may be possible to identify elements of psychosomatic/psychotherapeutic primary care in the Federal Republic of Germany and the former German Democ ratic Republic by comparing the current state of basic psychosomatic care ( BPSC) in the eastern and western part of Berlin. 278 Berlin patients with psychosocial problems were recruited 1995 for a ba sic documentation system of the BPSC in connection with a project supported by the Federal Ministry for Health at the Berlin Center. Their data were c ompared with regard to diagnostic and therapeutic measures applied in the e astern and western part of Berlin. Furthermore, 617 questionnaires on basic psychosomatic care were filled out by physicians in private practice in bo th parts of the city in 1994. Despite the identical or lower assessment of their patients' biopsychosocia l stress, East Berlin physicians take considerably more therapeutic measure s than their colleagues in West Berlin. There are only minor differences between physicians from the eastern and we stern part of the city despite variances in the training and advanced train ing systems for BPSC. The possible causes are discussed.