Factors Necessary for the Success of IDT Training
Interdisciplinary training—whether in the academic or the continuing education setting—presents many common and significant challenges.40-47 In order for IDT training to be successful—to be developed, implemented, and sustained over time—these challenges must be recognized and addressed at multiple levels. Based on the literature, some factors necessary for its success are given below.
1) Background attitudes and experience with team care and training. Different health professions have differing beliefs about the importance and value of providing team care. Nursing, social work, and other professions have traditionally been the most supportive of IDTs, and medicine has been less so.45 Addressing this challenge may require better advocacy by medical professional associations, accreditation and licensure organizations, and educational administrators regarding the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork for physicians, as well as other healthcare professionals—for example, by sponsoring forums on the value of IDT, issuing policy statements and new regulations, redesigning educational programs, oridentifying and networking with IDT champions within these organizations.
2) Different degrees of faculty support and student participation. Related to the previous factor, faculty and students from some disciplines are much more involved and committed to interdisciplinary training than others; again, medicine is generally the least supportive.45 In addition to the strategies previously presented, expanded efforts by professional associations and accreditation and licensure organizations in the promotion of IDT may be required. The development of an IDT steering committee to oversee the program and model effective interdisciplinary collaboration may also be helpful.
3) Level of training of students and trainee expectations. It is important to match the level of student disciplinary education and experience in the IDT educational setting; otherwise, the participants will not value the contributions of different professions equally. Similarly, low student perceptions of the relevance and importance of the IDT experience may undermine its value. These factors can be addressed by the careful matching of students’ level of education and experience, as well as effective modeling and mentoring of interdisciplinary teamwork attitudes and skills by faculty.
4) Importance of training context. Certain settings, such as hospitals, may reinforce the hierarchy of health professions, with medicine usually being the most influential. In contrast, other settings—such as home care—may provide for more meaningful clinical contributions from all disciplines. Recognition of the importance of context may require the development of new training settings that are less hierarchical and more collaborative, with shared leadership across participating health professions.
