| Abstract: | In sum, we have offered a few observations about the practice of interdisciplinary research. Now, in addition to our rather specific suggestions, we want to add a few general comments about the interactions of professionals who are actually involved in interdisciplinary research. Collaboration between physicians and psychologists can be enriching, stimulating, and rewarding. But it can also be problematic, because the former do not have much exposure to research and the latter do not have much exposure to clinical issues. Bringing these skills together may require many hours of discussion and reading each other's publications. Overall, physicians need to improve their research skills. Reading statistics texts, taking courses, handling data sets, reviewing other researchers' statistical designs are all reasonable strategies. Psychologists also need to expand their knowledge base. Reading the clinical literature is a start, but this ought to be supplemented by consistent exposure to the clinical milieu. The physician, who has access to the clinical milieu, needs to be sensitive to the question of exposure. Our final comments about collaboration are perhaps the most sensitive ones. The maintenance of a solid physician and psychologist research collaboration requires thoughtfulness, understanding, tact, and nurturance. Consider the status and responsibilities of the physician. He or she often outranks the psychologist, has access to the subject population, daily confronts ethical issues surrounding patient diagnoses, and controls communication of information to child and family. A sense of being in charge develops. Consequently, the psychologist may be perceived as being an adjunct to the research, responsible for day-to-day operations and committing ideas to paper.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) |
