Multidisciplinary CARE
“ Multidisciplinary” is a term used in healthcare when referencing a team of providers that come from many backgrounds or disciplines such as doctors, advanced practice nurses, registered nurses, therapists, dietitians, social workers and more depending on your diagnosis.
In cancer care, your multidisciplinary team consists of multispecialty doctors and staff who have specialized in the care of your cancer.
The term“ multispecialty” refers to doctors from different healthcare specialties, such as Surgical Oncologists, Medical Oncologists, Radiation Oncologists, Pathologists( lab), Radiologists( X-ray) and more. These specialists meet regularly at Cancer Conferences( sometimes referred to as Tumor Boards) to discuss and set forth your plan of care. They work together to assure your care is coordinated according to evidence-based practices.
Renown Institute for Cancer also supports three“ Center of Excellence”( COE) programs. COE is a team who share the same goals and provide leadership around best practices, research and training for a focused area. In cancer care, COEs are centered on where the cancer starts in your body. At Renown, the three COE programs include
Breast Cancer, Gastrointestinal Cancers( such as colon, rectum, liver, pancreas and stomach) and Thoracic Cancers( including lung and esophagus). Each team meets regularly to develop and update clinical guidelines, to identify quality initiatives, collaborate on clinical trials and to evaluate new technology and processes. In addition, this team actively participates in the multidisciplinary cancer conferences.
The multidisciplinary cancer conference is a place where the many cancer specialists, joined by genetic specialists, Nurse Navigators, nurses, social workers, dietitians, physical therapy specialists and other ancillary providers discuss newly diagnosed cancer cases in order to develop the best treatment plan for you. Having this multidisciplinary approach provides a more comprehensive plan for you early in your diagnosis. It also allows for the team to discuss changes in your treatment plan to ensure you are receiving the best care from the multitude of experts available.
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