Interdisciplinary teamwork and collaboration: an essential element of a positive practice environment

Interdisciplinary collaboration is critical to excellence in patient care delivery. There is a growing consensus that the basic education for all clinical professionals should include the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to effectively participate in interdisciplinary teams, and that health care organizations should continue this education in the practice setting. The authors examine the large and growing evidence base regarding interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork and explore the relationship between interdisciplinary collaboration and patient, workforce, and organizational outcomes. Antecedents and attributes of the construct are presented, as well as structures, models, and programs that are being implemented by health care organizations and academic settings to facilitate and advance interdisciplinary collaboration in clinical practice.