ICT Use and Multidisciplinary Healthcare Teams

Communication In Multidisciplinary Healthcare Teams

Multidisciplinary Team (MDTM) care is defined as an integrated approach where relevant health care professionals from various medical disciplines work together to evaluate medical options and jointly develop treatment plans for their patients (Robertson, Li, O’Hara, & Hansen, 2010). For example, a multidisciplinary team for cancer treatment might consist of surgeons, nutritionists, radiologists, pathologists, oncologists, physical and occupational therapists, and social workers as well as general practitioners. The composition of the team varies depending on the medical specialties, facilities, and types of care given (Ellingson, 2002). Each member of the team is vital to the success of the interdisciplinary clinic model, whether the leadership is authoritarian (with one or more physicians in charge), consultative, or cooperative in nature (Granda-Cameron, DeMille, Lynch, Huntzinger, Alcorn, Levicoff, Roop, & Mintzer, 2010). Although there are a variety of interprofessional approaches besides MDTM, this term will generally be used throughout this chapter to refer to all models of collaborative care.