Outcomes measurement. Multidisciplinary approaches and patient outcomes after stroke

Synergism is an apt description for the powerful results that can occur when multidisciplinary approaches are used. Studies have documented that multidisciplinary teams produce improved patient outcomes in selected patient groups, including recent studies of patients with strokes. Multidisciplinary teams in patient care are still far from being the normative model of care delivery. In the interest of better patient care and outcomes, it is time for health care professionals to actively engage in multidisciplinary approaches, because the sum of our collaborative efforts is greater than our individual disciplinary parts.