A collaborative approach to integrating outpatient and inpatient transplantation services

This article describes one hospital's experience in using a collaborative approach to integrate outpatient and inpatient care services for the management of end-stage organ failure by the use of a dedicated transplantation ambulatory outpatient service. Fostering multidisciplinary collaboration requires effective communication, sharing of expertise, interdependence, teamwork, and mutual goals. These five elements of collaboration have been an effective strategy to integrate care across different practice settings while promoting continuity of patient care. Although each healthcare member works independently, it is through the combined efforts of all team members that anticipated outcomes can be achieved. Collaboration has been a process by which we have enhanced the ability of different professionals to work together in achieving patient, system, and institutional goals.