Dietitians work with a variety of professionals in the workplace. In a long term care setting, dietitians work with doctors, nurses, speech language pathologists, public health inspectors, and social workers. In a clinical setting, dietitians work in various departments including cancer care, pediatrics, mental health, adult in-patient and out-patient counselling, respiratory services, and transplant services. In a community setting, dietitians work with public health nurses, social workers, and exercise specialists. While dietitians are employed in a vast array of work environments, they often feel there is a lack of awareness among health care professionals with regards to the extent of a dietitian’s skill set and their capacity to provide a variety of services in the health care setting. This may be a limiting factor in dietitians being viewed as a contributing member to a multidisciplinary team. A recent study by Asher, Doucet & Luke (2021), looking at registered dietitians’ perceptions and experiences of interprofessional collaboration showed that dietitians wanted more collaboration with health and social care providers. This study also showed that the majority of dietitians surveyed had negative views of interprofessional interactions (Asher et al., 2021). The study found that most dietitians (94.5%) felt there was a need to raise better awareness about the dietetic profession and 92.5% of participants felt that dietitians are underutilized in the healthcare world (Asher et al., 2021). An interesting observation from this study found that most dietitians cited insufficient time/availability as the biggest obstacle to interprofessional collaboration (Asher et al., 2021). This is undoubtedly an issue that many health care professionals face as they struggle with not having enough time to complete their own duties without the added expectation of trying to make time to meet with colleagues and co-workers.
Each professional’s role has an influence on the professional roles of others within a multidisciplinary setting. Working in this type of environment can be beneficial to all members of the health care team. A qualitative study by Beckingsale, Fairbairn & Morris (2016), looked at the perceptions of professional support received, and the perception of professional support required, of 12 registered dietitians who worked in primary health care (PHC) in New Zealand. All participants identified that professional support assisted them in developing the competency and confidence required to deliver effective services in the PHC setting (Beckingsale et al., 2016). The participants felt that sources of intraprofessional support such as being in a team with another dietitian, being involved in dietetic networks or peer support groups, undertaking professional supervision and having access to relevant professional development opportunities allowed them to work more effectively (Beckingsale et al., 2016). In addition, participants stated that receiving interprofessional support such as being part of a multidisciplinary, culturally diverse team and collaborating with other PHC professionals contributed to their ability to provide collaborative care to improve patient outcomes (Beckingsale et al., 2016).
In a multidisciplinary setting each team member brings their unique skill set to the table. In this way, each professional acts as a resource for the other members of the team. Because each professional must maintain competence in their field of expertise, they are applying the most up-to-date knowledge in the treatment of their patient. In a multidisciplinary setting, a team member may identify an issue or concern that might have otherwise been missed if each discipline had interacted with the patient independently. Patient care is likely to be more efficient and effective. Working in a team approach allows each professional to focus their time, attention and expertise toward the care of the patient. Without this approach one professional may feel pressed into making healthcare decisions that are not considered to be within their scope of practice. A collaborative environment brings a greater depth of knowledge to the team as a whole allowing all team members to become more informed. A team approach is more likely to result in an accurate diagnosis and a more effective and holistic treatment plan for the patient. Shared responsibility among team members may help to alleviate the workload burden and reduce stress on each individual professional.
This type of collaborative work environment can also be beneficial to the recipient of care. A patient can request more in-depth information from each specialist. Each professional will be more aware of what resources are available to patient or client. A study review by Epstein (2014), looked at the benefits of using multidisciplinary in-hospital teams in improving patient outcomes. The hospital-based multidisciplinary teams were described as including all levels of staff such as physicians, physician assistants, nurses, aides, physical therapists and social workers. The study found that these “teams” were consistently more effective in decreasing communication barriers and increasing cooperation between specialists (Epstein, 2014). The study also found that utilizing such cohesive teams limited adverse events among patients including morbidity and mortality, improved patient outcomes, maximized patient safety, decreased patient length of stay, and increased patient satisfaction (Epstein, 2014). Additional benefits were also reported among staff including improved job performance and increased job satisfaction (Epstein, 2014). Hospitals also reported benefits such as a reduction in hospital costs and a greater retention of experienced personnel (Epstein, 2014).
Health care professionals have many roles and collaborate with many other health care professionals. They share a common goal of providing the best possible care for their patient or client. It is clear there are numerous benefits to promoting a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care. In light of this growing evidence, it is hoped that health care institutions, department managers, health care providers, and the public will embrace this multidisciplinary philosophy to providing patient care as we continue our pursuit of creating a better health care system for all.
References:
Asher, K., Doucet, S., & Luke, A. (2021). A pan-Canadian study of registered dietitians’ perceptions and experiences of interprofessional collaboration. Journal of Interprofessional Care. 2021 Apr 27:1-9.
Beckingsale, L., Fairbairn, K. and Morris, C. (2016), ‘Two working together is so much better than just one’: Professional support needs of primary healthcare dietitians. Nutrition & Dietetics, 73: 220-228.
Epstein N. E. (2014). Multidisciplinary in-hospital teams improve patient outcomes: A review. Surgical neurology international, 5(Suppl 7), S295–S303.
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