Diagnosing and Improving Functioning in Interdisciplinary Health Care Teams

2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail Blackmore ◽  
D. David Persaud
2012 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 189-194
Author(s):  
Klara Lorinczi ◽  
Vanessa Denheyer ◽  
Amanda Pickard ◽  
Alice Lee ◽  
Diana R. Mager

Dysphagia is highly prevalent in patients with chronic neurological disorders and can increase the risk for comorbidities such as aspiration pneumonia and malnutrition. Treatment includes timely access to interdisciplinary health care teams with specialized skills in dysphagia management. A retrospective chart review (n=99 of 125 charts screened) was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of referral criteria to identify and triage patients with suspected dysphagia to an ambulatory dysphagia clinic. Variables collected included demographic information (age), anthropometric information (body mass index [BMI], each patient’s sex), reason for referral, primary medical diagnosis, symptomatology (e.g., pneumonia, chest congestion), nutrition and swallowing interventions, clinic wait times, missed/cancelled appointments, and referring health care professional. The mean age and mean BMI ± standard deviation of patients reviewed were 68.7 years ± 18.4 years and 25.2 kg/m2 ± 6.7 kg/m2, respectively. Average clinic wait times were 158 days (13 to 368 days) for routine and 52 days (0 to 344 days) for urgent assessments (p<0.001). The most common reason(s) for referral was/were related to dysphagia (n=83), surgery (n=50), and/or gastrointestinal symptomatology (n=28); 80% to 90% of patients received varying diagnostic and treatment services for dysphagia. Development of effective referral criteria is critical to ensure that clients with dysphagia receive timely diagnostic, treatment, and nutrition interventions by interdisciplinary health care teams specializing in dysphagia.


1994 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth B. Purtilo

The purpose of this paper is to encourage reflection about the harm that could result if the positive aspects of team-organized health care are compromised during the health care reform process. While other models of health care delivery could replace teamwork and serve patients as well or better, the interdisciplinary health care team (IHCT) probably will not be abandoned. However, one or more disciplines whose members play important roles on various teams may be sacrificed in the hasty effort to define essential health care. Moreover, a significant proportion of the types of IHCTs in existence could be rashly eliminated from health plans. These changes should not take place randomly or by default.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Hamman ◽  
Beth M. Beaudin-Seiler ◽  
Jeffrey M. Beaubien

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