A multidisciplinary cardiac team strategy is suggested as a class I recommendation in today’s guidelines for treating complex coronary artery disease(Young 2020).

A multidisciplinary cardiac team strategy is suggested as a class I recommendation in today’s guidelines for treating complex coronary artery disease(Young 2020). Collaboration between intra- and inter-disciplinary stakeholders is required to develop the appropriate treatment plan for complicated coronary artery disease patients. Primary care doctors, ordinary cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, intensivists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, physical therapists, and others work together.

 

Preoperative collaboration is more like an intra – professional physician-to-physician conversation to develop a treatment plan then discuss the plan with the patient and family. Before surgery, the patient was seen by his/her regular cardiologist for system evaluation. The patient will be referred to an interventional cardiologist for a coronary artery angiography if the patient was suspected of having coronary artery disease. If that had been confirmed having coronary artery disease, then the interventional cardiologist will discuss the patient’s treatment plan with the cardiac surgeon. The options usually are, medication treatment, surgical revascularization, and percutaneous coronary intervention. Once the choice to have surgery has been made, the patient will schedule the procedure with the surgeon. Preoperative collaboration is more like an intra – professional physician-to-physician conversation to develop a treatment plan then discuss the plan with the patient and family.

 

During the surgery , The multidisciplinary care professionals include an anesthesiologist, perfusionist, surgeon, physician assistant, scribe technician, and circulating nurse. One of the most important communication techniques is the “Time-out” before making an incision. T he whole team will go through the patient’s name, site, procedure name, allergies, preoperative antibiotics, blood products available, fire risk, and introduce everyone. It’s also a good time for team members to voice their concerns and possible problems with the patient’s safety. This has been normal protocol to reduce the preventable operational mistakes ( van Schoten 2014).

 

After the surgery, the patient will be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Because of the complexity of open-heart surgery postoperative therapy, it demands a multidisciplinary approach. The patient care team will include surgeons, intensivists, physician assistants or nurse practitioners, ICU nurses, pharmacists, case managers, social workers, and respiratory therapists. Other professionals, such as a nutritionist or a speech therapist, may be consulted. Participation of the patient’s family or self in the treatment plan and delivery is highly encouraged. Morning rounds are one of the most effective collaborative methods in hospital practices. There will be a round-table debate. The patient’s history, vital signs, and lab findings will be given during rounds, and the whole team will discuss and contribute suggestions to develop a team approach plan. Because of their greater status and responsibilities, a surgeon or intensivist will make the final choice. However, it is critical for healthcare managers to assist in the creation and maintenance of a culture of effective teamwork climate that improves  patient safety and better patient care. ( Pronovost 2008)

Reference:  

Pronovost, P. J., Berenholtz, S. M., & Goeschel, C. A. (2008). Improving the Quality of Measurement and Evaluation in Quality Improvement Efforts. American Journal of Medical Quality, 23(2), 143–146.  https://doi.org/10.1177/1062860607313146

van Schoten, S. M., Kop, V., de Blok, C., Spreeuwenberg, P., Groenewegen, P. P., & Wagner, C.     (2014). Compliance with a time-out procedure intended to prevent wrong surgery in           hospitals: results of a national patient safety programme in the Netherlands. BMJ open, 4(7),      e005075.  https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005075

Young, M. N., Kolte, D., Cadigan, M. E., Laikhter, E., Sinclair, K., Pomerantsev, E., Fifer, M. A.,     Sundt, T. M., Yeh, R. W., & Jaffer, F. A. (2020). Multidisciplinary Heart Team Approach for    Complex Coronary Artery Disease: Single Center Clinical Presentation. Journal of the American Heart Association, 9(8), e014738.  https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.119.014738

 

 

 

Kristen

The topic I selected for this week’s discussion is an interdisciplinary team, which includes collaboration, the roles, importance, and characteristics of an effective team.

Collaboration –

Collaboration between the interdisciplinary team members is important as everyone brings a different background and strength to the team. The different strengths allow the organization to increase patient safety and quality of care. Collaboration can also help save money by ensuring that all business areas are covered and that financial things are not missed. I think of the word teamwork when I hear collaboration.

The roles of the team –

Every employee has a different role and background that brings a unique aspect to the business. For example, a mental health clinic comprises an interdisciplinary team of counselors, social workers, nurses, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Every job is important and different to ensure that the clinic is run well to meet the needs of the patients. If someone did another individual’s role, that would not go well because their education and experience are not in that role, and patients could be hurt.

Importance –

An interdisciplinary team is important for successful outcomes in the healthcare field (The benefit of interdisciplinary teams in Healthcare 2022). One person cannot fill every position or specialize in a certain area of expertise. For example, you could not want a neurologist to work on your heart.

Characteristics of an effective team –

Characteristics of an effective interdisciplinary team include good leadership, organizational values, trust, good policy and procedure, cohesive communication style, and development of employees and departments (Nancarrow et al., 2013). Everyone has different traits than others, which makes characteristics of a group.

 

References:

Nancarrow, S. A., Booth, A., Ariss, S., Smith, T., Enderby, P., & Roots, A. (2013, May 10). Ten principles of good interdisciplinary teamwork – human resources for health. BioMed Central. Retrieved from  https://human-resources-health.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1478-4491-11-19

The benefit of interdisciplinary teams in Healthcare. Intermountain H