Abstract:

Multidisciplinary teamwork or collaboration is a new approach designed to guide thinking and practise within healthcare systems. As a concept multidisciplinary collaboration or teamwork is not clear[1]. It has been defined as a situation where professionals from a range of disciplines work together to deliver comprehensive care that addresses as many of the patient's needs as possible[2]. Fine sentiments but is this practical in reality in the setting of modern high technology healthcare and if practical is it desirable? What is multidisciplinary healthcare working and are there actual examples of it in practice and if so what lessons have been learnt from its implementation? What are the arguments that support the case for its introduction and conversely what might prevent it from being effective?

The speaker has experience of leading multidisciplinary teams as a director of a large paediatric intensive care unit and also as an associate medical director of a leading tertiary referral specialist paediatric hospital in the UK.

Teaching goals:

• to outline what Multidisciplinary working is
• to rehearse the arguments for Multidisciplinary working
• to give examples of Multidisciplinary working in practice

Learning objectives:

• to understand what Multidisciplinary working is
• to appreciate the pros and cons of Multidisciplinary working
• how to implement Multidisciplinary working in a high tech healthcare setting
  
  

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