Do multidisciplinary teams make a difference to the quality of medical care?

Abstract

One of the major modern advances in the organization and delivery of health care has been the introduction of multidisciplinary team management. This approach has reduced mortality levels in patients suffering with cancer and other complex multiorgan pathologies. Many centres of excellence and teaching hospitals have established multidisciplinary teams in order to streamline treatment pathways and optimize patient care. This article presents an overview of multidisciplinary teams, their history, their introduction into mainstream medical care and the issues resulting from their introduction to the treating organizations as well as clinicians.