Integrated Care for Complex Patients: An Interdisciplinary Medicine Approach

An integrated approach to care requires integration of different disciplines for achieving the common purpose of caring for the complex patients. It involves the collaboration of members of different fields to set objectives, make decisions, and share the resources and responsibilities. A multidisciplinary team of clinicians carry out diagnosis and prescribe the interventions to be used. They also set goals, and create a care plan for the patient, who is also involved in the entire process. An interdisciplinary approach usually leads to improvement in patient outcomes, health care processes, and the satisfaction levels. The advantages of interdisciplinary approach include reduction in the duration of hospital stay and preventing the duplication of assessments, which lead to more holistic and comprehensive records of the stay. There are certain essential elements for a successful interdisciplinary approach, which include attributes like leadership, person-centered practice, teamwork, and communication. The establishment of team with members from diverse disciplines and communication across disciplines fosters overall effectiveness. This book unravels the recent studies with respect to integrated care for complex patients. Its extensive content will provide the readers with a thorough understanding of the subject.