Inter-university harmonization for the development of subspecialties of consultation-liaison: Psychiatry, old age psychiatry and forensic psychiatry. Consensus statement of the Hellenic College of Academic Psychiatry

The voluminous amount of new knowledge and the strong academic standing of consultation-liaison psychiatry, old age and forensic psychiatry lead to their establishment as subspecialties of psychiatry in many countries. In this article the Hellenic College of Academic Psychiatry (HCAP) recommend the recognition of the above mentioned subspecialties in Greece. The HCAP was constituted as an inter-university organization having as one of its aims to coordinate efforts to modernize and harmonize the academic educational programs in psychiatry nationwide in Greece. We also present the process followed by the HCAP members and the final consensus texts reached for training in the three subspecialties. These guidelines specify the special training, knowledge and skills required as well as the organization and assessment of training. Accredited subspecialties programmes increase focus and research in their field as well as upgrading their influence in academic centres, thus contributing to optimisation of the training of medical students and psychiatric residents. Lastly, the accreditation of the three subspecialties will ameliorate the care of patients that belong to specific populations such as patients with medical and psychiatric comorbidity, the elderly who suffer from mental illnesses and the patients who need forensic assessment and intervention.