Volume 29, Issue 5, 2020
DOI: 10.24205/03276716.2020.1107
Interprofessional Collaboration – An Endocrine Surgery Model
Abstract
This review highlights the importance of interprofessional team-based care to improve the management of patients present to endocrine surgery outpatient offices with endocrine disorders that require ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA). A unique interprofessional collaborative approach among four different healthcare professions in the endocrine surgery unit (the surgeon, nurses in the office, ultrasound technician and pathology assistant) is described to improve and ensure the continuity of high-quality care, thereby improve outcome by mitigating issues related to patient access, scheduling, referral, diagnostic accuracy. Additionally, this approach helps to minimize the care miscoordination between healthcare professionals, and the emotional and financial burdens on patients and their families.
Keywords
Interprofessional, Collaboration, Endocrine, Surgery