Multidisciplinary care: Experience of patients with complex needs

TLDR: Perceptions of the diabetic patients' experience of multidisciplinary care, in particular their perceptions, perceived barriers and facilitators, showed that patients found it inconvenient to be referred to many health professionals because of multiple physical and psychosocial barriers.

Abstract: The rapidly increasing prevalence of diabetes with its high morbidity and mortality raises the need for an integratedmultidisciplinaryservicefromhealthcareprovidersacrosshealthsectors.Theaimofthisstudywastoexplorethe diabetic patients' experience of multidisciplinary care, in particular their perceptions, perceived barriers and facilitators. Thirteenpatientswithtype-2diabetesadmittedtotheemergencydepartmentofalocalhospitalinNSWwereinterviewedand completed a demographic questionnaire. Results showed that patients found it inconvenient to be referred to many health professionals because of multiple physical and psychosocial barriers. Separate sets of instructions from different health professionalswereoverwhelming,confusingandconflicting.Lackofadedicatedcoordinatorofcare,followupandsupport forself-managementfromhealthprofessionalswerefactorsthatcontributedtopatients'challengesinbeingactivelyinvolved in their care. The presence of multiple co-morbidities made it more difficult for patients to juggle priorities and 'commitments' to many health professionals. In addition, complex socioeconomic and cultural issues, such as financial difficulties, lack of transport and language barriers, intensified the challenge for these patients to navigate the health system independently.Fewpatientsfeltthathavingmanyhealthprofessionalsinvolvedintheircareimprovedtheirdiabetescontrol. Communicationamongthemultidisciplinarycareteamwasfragmentedandhadanegativeeffectonthecoordinationofcare. The patients' perspective is important to identify the problems they experience and to formulate strategies for improving multidisciplinary care for patients with diabetes.