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Review
. 2010;2010(40):72-80.
doi: 10.1093/jncimonographs/lgq010.

The organization of multidisciplinary care teams: modeling internal and external influences on cancer care quality

Mary L Fennell  1 , Irene Prabhu Das, Steven Clauser, Nicholas Petrelli, Andrew Salner
Affiliations
Review

The organization of multidisciplinary care teams: modeling internal and external influences on cancer care quality

Mary L Fennell et al. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2010.

Abstract

Quality cancer treatment depends upon careful coordination between multiple treatments and treatment providers, the exchange of technical information, and regular communication between all providers and physician disciplines involved in treatment. This article will examine a particular type of organizational structure purported to regularize and streamline the communication between multiple specialists and support services involved in cancer treatment: the multidisciplinary treatment care (MDC) team. We present a targeted review of what is known about various types of MDC team structures and their impact on the quality of treatment care, and we outline a conceptual model of the connections between team context, structure, process, and performance and their subsequent effects on cancer treatment care processes and patient outcomes. Finally, we will discuss future research directions to understand how MDC teams improve patient outcomes and how characteristics of team structure, culture, leadership, and context (organizational setting and local environment) contribute to optimal multidisciplinary cancer care.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Multidisciplinary treatment care (MDC) intervention across transitions in cancer care.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The organization of multilevel effects on multidisciplinary treatment care teams and their impact on cancer care processes and outcomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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