The Fundamentals of Multidisciplinary Teams

What are multidisciplinary teams?

Multidisciplinary healthcare teams are groups of professionals from different healthcare disciplines who work together to provide comprehensive care to patients. These teams are made up of individuals with various specialties and backgrounds, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and allied health practitioners, among others. The primary goal of a multidisciplinary healthcare team is to provide a patient-centred approach to care. By working together, these professionals can provide a more holistic and well-rounded approach to treatment. This approach allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the patient's needs, as well as a more coordinated and efficient plan of care.

How do multidisciplinary teams work?

The success of multidisciplinary teams relies on effective communication and collaboration among team members as well as with the patient and their family or carers. This requires regular team meetings, progress updates, and shared patient charts. Multidisciplinary teams follow a general process that involves assessing the patient's needs, developing a care plan that outlines the patient's goals, interventions, and expected outcomes, implementing the care plan, monitoring and evaluating the patient's progress, and modifying the care plan as needed. Throughout this process, team members communicate and coordinate with one another to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the patient's needs are being met. This helps to ensure that patients receive comprehensive care that is tailored to their individual needs and that their outcomes are optimized.

What are the benefits of using multidisciplinary teams?

Multidisciplinary teams offer numerous benefits to patients, healthcare providers, and the healthcare system as a whole. Some of these benefits include:

• Comprehensive care: By bringing together professionals from different specialties, multidisciplinary teams can provide more comprehensive care to patients. This approach allows for a more holistic and well-rounded understanding of a patient's needs, as well as more coordinated and efficient care plans.
• Improved patient outcomes: With a more comprehensive understanding of a patient's needs and a coordinated approach to care, multidisciplinary teams can improve patient outcomes. This can lead to better health outcomes, a reduced risk of complications, and improved patient satisfaction.
• More efficient use of resources: By coordinating care and avoiding unnecessary duplication of services, multidisciplinary teams can reduce healthcare costs and improve the overall quality of care.
• Enhanced communication: Effective communication is key to the success of multidisciplinary teams. By working together and sharing information, team members can provide better care and avoid errors or miscommunications.
• Increased job satisfaction: Working in a multidisciplinary team can be rewarding and fulfilling for healthcare providers. Collaboration with colleagues from different specialties can lead to a better understanding of different approaches to care and can lead to professional growth and development.
• Improved access to care: Multidisciplinary teams can improve access to care for patients in underserved or rural areas. With telemedicine and virtual care, patients can receive care from specialists regardless of their physical location.

The top 5 myths we hear about multidisciplinary teams.

When we work closely with healthcare professionals to implement multidisciplinary teams, they are often supportive of the concept but have concerns about what the extra time or cost that these teams might take to operate. Here are the top 5 myths we commonly hear relating to multidisciplinary teams:

Myth #1: Multidisciplinary teams are too expensive.

Reality: While it is true that multidisciplinary teams may require more resources initially, they can actually save money in the long run. By providing more efficient and effective care, multidisciplinary teams can reduce hospital readmissions, unnecessary tests, and other healthcare costs.

Myth #2: Multidisciplinary teams lead to loss of autonomy for healthcare providers.

Reality: Multidisciplinary teams actually promote professional autonomy by allowing healthcare providers to practice at the top of their licensure and training. By working together, team members can share expertise, learn from each other and provide better care to patients.

Myth #3: Multidisciplinary teams are too complex and time-consuming.

Reality: While multidisciplinary teams do require coordination and communication, they ultimately save time by reducing duplication of services, avoiding errors, and improving patient outcomes.

Myth #4: Multidisciplinary teams are only necessary for complex cases.

Reality: Multidisciplinary teams can be effective in any setting, from primary care to chronic disease management. By bringing together professionals from different specialties, multidisciplinary teams can provide more comprehensive care to patients and improve their outcomes.

Myth #5: Multidisciplinary teams need to be located in the same place for them to be effective.

Reality: Multidisciplinary teams do not have to be located in the same practice to be effective. In fact, with the increasing use of technology for telemedicine, virtual care and sharing of patient data, it is becoming more common for teams to collaborate remotely. The key is to have clear lines of communication and a shared commitment to patient-centred care, regardless of the physical location of the team members.

Why are multidisciplinary teams becoming important in health care?

In today's complex healthcare landscape, multidisciplinary teams are becoming increasingly important to help provide high-quality, comprehensive care to patients. By bringing together professionals from different healthcare disciplines, these teams can offer a more holistic approach to patient care that addresses not just medical issues, but also social, emotional, and psychological needs.

As health reform in Australia advances towards delivering greater value for patients, multidisciplinary teams are likely to become even more critical for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. Therefore, it is essential that healthcare providers, policymakers, and patients alike recognise the importance of multidisciplinary teams and work together to support their development and implementation. By embracing this approach, we can help build a brighter future for healthcare that puts patients at the centre of care and improves outcomes for all.

 
Further Learning:

For further details on why multidisciplinary teams will become important to your practice in the near future, watch our free Kickstarter webinar - Australian Health Reform: What it means for you and your practice here.

 
Further Reading: 

Blog: Multidisciplinary teams in healthcare. What does it all mean?