Gregory L. Fricchione, MD, Discusses Health Reform's Role in Psychiatry and Clinical Medicine

Gregory L. Fricchione, MD, of Harvard Medical School, says that patients suffering from non-communicable disease face a number of challenges.

“The thought leaders in medicine are realizing that these non-communicable diseases—which include cardiovascular diseases, arthritises, chronic pulmonary diseases, and neuropsychiatric disorders—these non-communicable diseases are really going to be the biggest health challenge in the 21st century,” says Dr Fricchione.

He says other challenges include patients’ suffering from the side effects and stress associated with their illness, along with the costs of managing their care. Psychiatrists and clinical neuroscientists have much to offer primary and specialty healthcare providers because they “have an in-depth understanding of how the mind, brain, and body interact.” Working together, they can reform the care management of patients with non-communicable diseases.