Interdiscplinary Healthcare

Running Head: COMMUNICATION AMONG THE HEALTHCARE TEAM 1

Communication Among the Healthcare Team

Amanda Duncan

University of Kentucky

COMMUNICATION AMONG THE HEALTHCARE TEAM 2

Communication Among the Healthcare Team

Purpose:

Interdisciplinary healthcare collaboration is of vital importance in patient wellness while being treated or cared for in a healthcare establishment. Healthcare professionals may come from a large variety of backgrounds and professions, but in the end they all come together and play an important part in patient care. Whether it is something as simple as the patient requesting an order from the dietary team, or trusting a surgeon with his or her open heart surgery, these healthcare professionals must work together as a team in order to deliver the best possible care for each individual patient. Of course, the interdisciplinary healthcare team includes doctors and nurses, but there are numerous professions who also play an important role within this team, such as dieticians, nursing care technicians, environmental services, occupational and physical therapists, volunteers, and social workers, as well as many others. A single person from one specific profession cannot possibly fill all of these responsibilities on their own. With new medical treatments and new technologies that develop over time, it is important that healthcare professionals keep clear, concise communication in order to stay on top of these new developments. This is one of the many reasons why each team member is valuable, just as communication between each profession is essential in the success of each patient being treated.

Overview/Summaries of articles:

In order for a team to effectively communicate, educating future healthcare team members about interdisciplinary healthcare collaboration is a great way to prepare students for their careers.

In the article,...