The American Hospital Association (AHA) issued a brief that reviews various models of team-based care, including interdisciplinary versus multidisciplinary teams, and stresses the hallmarks of the team approach: shared goals, clearly understood roles, mutual trust and effective communication, according to a press release.
“Team-based care is a promising, low-tech approach that allows healthcare workers from varying professional disciplines to collaborate and minister to not only the physical, but also the psychological and spiritual needs of their patients. It provides benefits at all levels of care, including palliative,” said Melinda Estes, MD, AHA Chair.
The advocacy organization pointed to an approach from Intermountain Healthcare’s Mental Health Integration team, which has saved $13 million per year, primarily through reduced unnecessary utilization of the emergency department and hospital visits. And in New York, Montefiore Health System’s integrated team of primary care providers has won patients over – 72 percent of patients reported feeling more connected to the care team and expressed overall satisfaction with their care.
COVID-19 has magnified the advantages of care teams, enabling providers to respond more effectively to patient needs. Estes pointed out.
