Multidisciplinary Teams

Development of a co-ordinated and multi-disciplinary approach to patient care across geographical areas in NSW is an important program to the NSW Cancer Plan 2007-2010 (Cancer Plan 2007-2010). A patient-centred approach via multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings provides an effective platform to deliver coordinated patient care across multifaceted treatment programs and various treatment centre locations.

A Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) is a group of health professionals who meet to discuss all relevant treatment options and develop an individual treatment plan for each cancer patient. This collaborative approach allows the team to make decisions about the most appropriate treatment and supportive care for the patient while taking into account the individual patient's preferences and circumstances.

Teams include surgeons, radiation and medical oncologists, pathology, nursing, general practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, dietitians and other relevant health professionals required to treat the patient.

Multidisciplinary Team Development

The Cancer Institute NSW is currently undertaking three activities to further the development of multidisciplinary teams in NSW:

Multidisciplinary Team Mapping
Multidisciplinary Team Grants
Multidisciplinary Development Projects

Multidisciplinary Team Mapping

The Cancer Institute NSW, in conjunction with the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre has undertaken a survey of all cancer Multidisciplinary Teams in NSW. There were 158 Multidisciplinary teams identified and detailed information collected on 129 of these (82% response rate). The data collected from this survey has been presented to the NSW Oncology Groups (NSWOGs) and Area Health Service specific data was provided to each of the Area Health Services. A copy of the executive summary outlining the survey results is available here.

The Multidisciplinary Teams identified in the survey will be included in the NSW Cancer Services Directory to ensure health professionals, patients and their families have access to information on multidisciplinary team availability.

Multidisciplinary Team Grants

In 2006, the Cancer Institute NSW awarded 23 multidisciplinary team development grants to support 118 existing or proposed multidisciplinary teams. The grants provided funding for both equipment and workforce to further develop effective MDT care across a variety of tumour types in both rural and metropolitan areas and private and public services. Additional funding has been provided to support these teams until June 2008.

Full details of the 23 multidisciplinary team grants awarded are available by clicking here.

Multidisciplinary Team Projects

Multidisciplinary Teams are in varying stages of development in cancer services throughout NSW. The Cancer Institute NSW is working with established Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT) to encourage the further development of both new and existing teams in rural and metropolitan areas and across private and public facilities.

Funding has been provided to 24 Multidisciplinary Teams across a range of tumour streams and Area Health Services to undertake up to seven projects. These seven projects involve the development and implementation of:

A rural and metropolitan partnership of MDT care;
A financially sustainable model of MDTs through the use of the relevant MBS item introduced on 1 November 2006;
A mechanism to collect the data additions to the Minimum Data Set of the Clinical Cancer Registry as determined by the relevant NSW Oncology Group;
NSW Specific Patient Management Frameworks for use in rural, metropolitan and private and public MDTs in NSW;
A tumour specific MDT treatment plan;
Outcome measures for MDTs; and
A private and public partnership for MDT care.

The MDTs undertaking these projects will be working closely with the relevant NSWOG and will provide an update at each of the relevant tumour stream NSWOG. Details of the NSWOG meetings can be obtained by emailing NSWOG@cancerinstitute.org.au. Tumour stream MDT project groups will meet prior to the relevant tumour specific NSWOG to enable the teams to discuss their progress. Details of these meetings are available from robyn.thomas@cancerinstitute.org.au. Details of the Multidisciplinary Teams funded to undertake the multidisciplinary team projects over the period May 2007 to June 2008 can be found here.