The role of oncologists in multidisciplinary cancer teams in the UK: an untapped resource for team leadership?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In the UK, cancer care is managed via multidisciplinary teams (MDT). Core members of these teams are typically surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and clinical nurse specialists (with other health care professionals potentially present). Good teamwork, including t...

Полное описание

Библиографические подробности
Главные авторы: Lamb, B, Payne, H, Vincent, C, Sevdalis, N, Green, J
Формат: Journal article
Язык:English
Опубликовано: 2011
_version_ 1826265640513568768
author Lamb, B
Payne, H
Vincent, C
Sevdalis, N
Green, J
author_facet Lamb, B
Payne, H
Vincent, C
Sevdalis, N
Green, J
author_sort Lamb, B
collection OXFORD
description BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In the UK, cancer care is managed via multidisciplinary teams (MDT). Core members of these teams are typically surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and clinical nurse specialists (with other health care professionals potentially present). Good teamwork, including team communication and leadership, has been shown to be a prerequisite for safe care delivery in other health care contexts, but cancer MDT team working processes are yet to be fully explored. This study aimed to assess the self-perceived contribution of oncologists to MDTs, with emphasis on their potential role as team leaders. METHODS: Data were collected at the British Uro-oncology Group 6th Annual Meeting (Sep 11-12 2009, York, UK). Respondents completed various items related to their perceived contribution to MDTs, aspects of current and potential MDT leadership, team decision making in these meetings, and also demographic information. RESULTS: Seventy-seven oncologists attended the meeting, of whom 61 fully completed the survey (response rate 79%). Oncologists reported that their contribution to the MDT discussion carries equal weight to those of surgeons, radiologists and pathologists. Whereas 83% of respondents reported that MDT chairmanship could rotate, only 39% reported that it does in their own MDTs. More than 90% of respondents thought that oncologists (clinical or medical) could chair these meetings, but only 25% of them had ever chaired their own MDT. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a high level of contribution to MDTs and the respect of their colleagues, oncologists are not taking leadership roles within MDTs at the level that they expect. This study raises the question of whether a re-evaluation the leadership of MDTs is required with clinicians from a variety of specialities being given opportunities to develop skills necessary to lead cancer MDTs and improve team performance and ultimately cancer care.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T20:26:50Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:2faf0af8-ee1d-47d4-8187-39e726dfb60e
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T20:26:50Z
publishDate 2011
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:2faf0af8-ee1d-47d4-8187-39e726dfb60e2022-03-26T12:56:48ZThe role of oncologists in multidisciplinary cancer teams in the UK: an untapped resource for team leadership?Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:2faf0af8-ee1d-47d4-8187-39e726dfb60eEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2011Lamb, BPayne, HVincent, CSevdalis, NGreen, J BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In the UK, cancer care is managed via multidisciplinary teams (MDT). Core members of these teams are typically surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and clinical nurse specialists (with other health care professionals potentially present). Good teamwork, including team communication and leadership, has been shown to be a prerequisite for safe care delivery in other health care contexts, but cancer MDT team working processes are yet to be fully explored. This study aimed to assess the self-perceived contribution of oncologists to MDTs, with emphasis on their potential role as team leaders. METHODS: Data were collected at the British Uro-oncology Group 6th Annual Meeting (Sep 11-12 2009, York, UK). Respondents completed various items related to their perceived contribution to MDTs, aspects of current and potential MDT leadership, team decision making in these meetings, and also demographic information. RESULTS: Seventy-seven oncologists attended the meeting, of whom 61 fully completed the survey (response rate 79%). Oncologists reported that their contribution to the MDT discussion carries equal weight to those of surgeons, radiologists and pathologists. Whereas 83% of respondents reported that MDT chairmanship could rotate, only 39% reported that it does in their own MDTs. More than 90% of respondents thought that oncologists (clinical or medical) could chair these meetings, but only 25% of them had ever chaired their own MDT. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a high level of contribution to MDTs and the respect of their colleagues, oncologists are not taking leadership roles within MDTs at the level that they expect. This study raises the question of whether a re-evaluation the leadership of MDTs is required with clinicians from a variety of specialities being given opportunities to develop skills necessary to lead cancer MDTs and improve team performance and ultimately cancer care.
spellingShingle Lamb, B
Payne, H
Vincent, C
Sevdalis, N
Green, J
The role of oncologists in multidisciplinary cancer teams in the UK: an untapped resource for team leadership?
title The role of oncologists in multidisciplinary cancer teams in the UK: an untapped resource for team leadership?
title_full The role of oncologists in multidisciplinary cancer teams in the UK: an untapped resource for team leadership?
title_fullStr The role of oncologists in multidisciplinary cancer teams in the UK: an untapped resource for team leadership?
title_full_unstemmed The role of oncologists in multidisciplinary cancer teams in the UK: an untapped resource for team leadership?
title_short The role of oncologists in multidisciplinary cancer teams in the UK: an untapped resource for team leadership?
title_sort role of oncologists in multidisciplinary cancer teams in the uk an untapped resource for team leadership
work_keys_str_mv AT lambb theroleofoncologistsinmultidisciplinarycancerteamsintheukanuntappedresourceforteamleadership
AT payneh theroleofoncologistsinmultidisciplinarycancerteamsintheukanuntappedresourceforteamleadership
AT vincentc theroleofoncologistsinmultidisciplinarycancerteamsintheukanuntappedresourceforteamleadership
AT sevdalisn theroleofoncologistsinmultidisciplinarycancerteamsintheukanuntappedresourceforteamleadership
AT greenj theroleofoncologistsinmultidisciplinarycancerteamsintheukanuntappedresourceforteamleadership
AT lambb roleofoncologistsinmultidisciplinarycancerteamsintheukanuntappedresourceforteamleadership
AT payneh roleofoncologistsinmultidisciplinarycancerteamsintheukanuntappedresourceforteamleadership
AT vincentc roleofoncologistsinmultidisciplinarycancerteamsintheukanuntappedresourceforteamleadership
AT sevdalisn roleofoncologistsinmultidisciplinarycancerteamsintheukanuntappedresourceforteamleadership
AT greenj roleofoncologistsinmultidisciplinarycancerteamsintheukanuntappedresourceforteamleadership