The Impact of Multidisciplinary Conference on Clinicians

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Education
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Rectal cancer multidisciplinary conferences (MDC) are known to benefit patients.
• The impact of MDCs on clinician experience remains under-researched.
• This study explores the value of rectal cancer MDCs for physician participants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a local rectal cancer multidisciplinary conference on physician participants.
• To identify benefits, challenges, successes, and areas for improvement from the clinician's perspective.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews with 21 clinicians across five disciplines (medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgery, radiology, pathology).
• Interviews were conducted virtually, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using NVivo with a constant comparative method.
• Participants included both staff clinicians and fellowship-level trainees.

Main Results:

• All 21 participants reported benefits, including academic opportunities and improved interdisciplinary communication and collegiality.
• Challenges such as meeting timing and workload were identified.
• Successes included the effectiveness of the virtual platform, adequate representation, and administrative support.

Conclusions:

• Multidisciplinary conferences provide value to clinicians beyond patient care, fostering enhanced communication and collegiality.
• These improvements can positively influence physician satisfaction.
• Addressing challenges like workload and accessibility through administrative support and virtual platforms is key to maximizing MDC benefits.