Satisfaction With Multidisciplinary Team Structure and Function in a Pediatric Outpatient Clinic.

BACKGROUND

Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are integral to navigating complex patient care. Implementation of MDTs may improve patient outcomes, reduce physician burnout, and decrease hospital costs. Systemic obstacles to optimizing pediatric MDTs remain unexplored. This study sought to evaluate provider perceptions of a spina bifida MDT and identify barriers of MDT success.

METHODS

A survey was distributed to staff at a single spina bifida clinic in a pediatric healthcare system. Respondents were asked to rate factors contributing to MDT success, satisfaction, optimized clinical components, and barriers to clinic staff participation. Descriptive statistics characterized survey responses, and free-text comments were thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

The survey achieved a 67 % response rate (29/43). Factors deemed crucial for MDT success included clinician collaboration (96 %) and a designated clinical coordinator (86 %). Most respondents indicated feeling "somewhat satisfied" (44 %) or "very satisfied" (22 %) with the MDT. Open communication (77 %) and participation/attendance (71 %) were the most frequently reported optimized clinical components. The most reported barriers to staff participation included clinician workflow inefficiency (71 %) and inadequate clinic preparation (67 %). Respondents expressed a desire for standardized pre-clinic patient updates, either via secure text (57 %), email (50 %), or in-person (20 %). 80 % of participants were unaware of whether the clinic had a mission statement.

CONCLUSION

While most clinical staff reported MDT satisfaction, survey responses revealed clear opportunities to enhance the MDT model. Future goals include collaborating with institutional operations to increase workflow efficiency and build awareness of the clinic's mission statement to encourage staff buy-in.

TYPE OF STUDY: Study of Diagnostic Test.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.