The importance of collaboration in maternal medicine: A retrospective descriptive study of a maternal multidisciplinary team meeting

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveIn the present study we aimed to review the evolution and function of the maternal medicine multidisciplinary team (MMMDT) meeting of a maternal medicine service of a tertiary level stand‐alone maternity hospital.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective descriptive study of all minutes of MMMDT meetings from 2014 to 2020, with the aim of evaluating meeting characteristics and patient demographics.ResultsThere were 575 multidisciplinary team (MDT) discussions of 486 women during 43 meetings in the 7 year period. On average, 13 (range 3–23; SD = 5.28) women were discussed at each meeting, attended by 17 (range: 11–27; SD = 4.26) attendees. There were 18 women discussed during successive pregnancies. When analyzing the 2017–2020 data, preconceptual discussions made up 7.3% (n = 42) of patients discussed, with 5.7% (n = 33) being postnatal. The mean maternal age was 32.5 years (range 15–48 years) and women were most likely to be discussed in the mid‐trimester period (21–24 weeks gestation). The top five primary specialities involved were hematology, neurology, rheumatology, neurosurgery and gastroenterology; however, 22 specialities were represented overall when classified by the primary medical condition. When examining the MDT input, hematology input was required in 144 patients (25.0%), radiology in 161 (28.0%) patients, and 117 in anesthesiology (20.3%). When examining the number of teams required to manage the patient, 80 women required the input of three specialities, with 16 women requiring the input of four specialities.ConclusionWe demonstrate the value and role of the MDT in the management of complex patients, providing a forum to discuss care in all phases of the obstetric journey.