Using Project Management Principles to Facilitate Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The impact of interdisciplinary collaboration should always be evaluated from the perspectives of different stakeholders, including patients (and their families/caregivers), healthcare providers, third-party insurance providers, researchers, and companies that provide materials/supplies, to name a few. In an educational environment, the healthcare provider team consists of a dental student/resident and a faculty member. The assessment of outcomes for interdisciplinary collaborations can be multilayered from patient care to education and research. The aim of this article is to review the different layers of assessment (ie, patient care, education, and research) and provide an overview of the benefits and limitations of interdisciplinary care. In addition, the authors compare the varied processes involved in the synergistic care of a patient to a project delivery in an agile environment.