Interdisciplinary Team
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Being a member of a large interdisciplinary team can be overwhelming and challenging at first. There are various care team members, each with a role to fulfill and tasks to accomplish. In the perinatal collaborative care model, the care manager is at the center of the care team. They not only work closely with the patient, but also collaborate with the obstetric providers and perinatal psychiatrist. In order for an interdisciplinary team to provide the best care to a patient, it is important that all members are aware of their roles, division of tasks, and also points of shared decision making. Below are some tips to be an effective member of an interdisciplinary team:
- Understand each care team member’s role. Each member has different responsibilities and daily tasks, but this does not mean the members work in a silo from one another. Understanding each other’s roles also provides an opportunity to establish collaboration and effective communication. More often than not, all members of the care team will need to come together to address the needs of their patients.
- As the newest members of the care team, the care managers should look for opportunities to introduce their role to others. This may be as simple as introducing yourself to a new face in the clinic or attending provider/staff meetings where you remind others about what your role entails.
- Establish preferred methods of communication. It is important that all team members know how to contact one another and share information about a patient. However, each person may prefer a different way of communicating. Some may prefer to communicate via a message in the electronic medical record, others via a quick in-person consultation, or others via a page or phone call. An effective strategy to consider is having daily or weekly “huddles” with care team members to facilitate quick check-ins about patients. Care managers may also want to write their contact information in an accessible place in the clinic, visible to providers, so others are aware of how to best reach them.
- Collaborative care planning/goal setting. Related to effective communication, it is important that all members of the care team collaborate with one another, and with the patient, to determine what is the appropriate treatment plan or goal for the patient’s care and well-being.
- Ask questions. Joining a team and clinic that already has certain workflows in place can be intimidating. No one expects a new team member to know everything on their first day or even their first month there. It is okay to ask questions and seek clarifications about what to do or whom to contact.
- Be flexible. In an interdisciplinary team, like in most teams, workflows are always changing to accommodate new team members and roles, and also to better meet the needs of patients. It is important to be able to adapt to these changes, while communicating effectively, in order to deliver the best care possible.