A model psychometrically based medical psychology program

Traced the program's evolution and discussed the dimensions of knowledge development, the clinical application of research results, and the interdisciplinary politics likely to be part of any emerging medical psychology program. The process of tailoring existing assessment and treatment techniques, as well as developing new ones to meet the needs of a specific medical setting, is reviewed. A description of how this process was applied in a medical psychology program devoted to the assessment and treatment of respiratory illness patients is also provided. The utility of psychometric techniques in identifying individual differences that relate to medical outcome and in providing services to a large volume of patients is described. An outline is also presented of the components of a productive training program in medical psychology. The implications of the program's research for reducing the upward spiral of health care costs are discussed. (45 ref)