The Team Approach to Interdisciplinary Care

Abstract

The medical complexity of the older adult continues to increase as people are living longer and accumulating more disease burden. No longer can any person, acting solo, have all of the required knowledge and expertise to manage patients. An interdisciplinary team is a group of individuals who bring their own special knowledge and skills to contribute to creating a cohesive care plan for a patient and family. These teams require hospital commitment to assemble and maintain over time. The teams themselves require nurturing and education, not only in disease or care management, but in team development. Done well, the team approach to health care will benefit the patient, the family, the hospital, and the team members themselves. While cost should be considered, much research suggests that the teams pay for themselves in cost savings. Other measureable outcomes are described.