Inter-disciplinary and Inter-organizational Collaboration
1. Reuben, DB; Levy-Storms, L; Yee, MN; Lee, M; Cole, K; Waite, M; Nichols, L; Frank, JC. Disciplinary Split: A Threat to Geriatrics Interdisciplinary Team Training. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society; 2004; 52:1000-1006.[Annotation]
This evaluation is part of the John A. Hartford Foundation Initiative to strengthen geriatric inter-disciplinary team training (GITT). Eight program centers are evaluated using case study and cross-case designs of quantitative and qualitative data which examine the influence of cultures, regulations, and attitudes of individual disciplines on inter-disciplinary training efforts. The results show that attitudinal and cultural traditions of the faculty and students of each health care discipline are the greatest barriers of team work. Physicians pose the greatest obstacles. Physicians are trained to work in teams of doctors but not in teams of other professionals. They were often absent from GITT training and had little support from their faculties to attend. Other barriers were regulations, reimbursement, level of training, and the complementary role the discipline might provide. [Pub Med]
