Review Collection Teams PubMed Search Multidisciplinary Team

Palliative care is often discussed in terms of holistic care, and of a patient and family centred approach. This care is best delivered by a multidisciplinary team who can support patients and families who may have physical, functional, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual care needs.

• The Australian General Practice Network Rural Palliative Care Resource kit has information on multidisciplinary teams, including establishing and managing a multidisciplinary team
• The Cancer Learning website has information on Multidisciplinary care resources 
• Cancer Forum has a report called: Improving multidisciplinary care for Patients with advanced disease: National breast and ovarian cancer Centre pilot report 
• The National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre has Multidisciplinary Care Resources, including Multidisciplinary Care Principles for Advanced Disease, Multidisciplinary meetings for Cancer Care
• The Centre for Palliative Care Education and Research has a document: Family meetings in palliative care: multidisciplinary clinical practice guidelines 
• The Palliative Care Australia Conference ‘Together 2009’ presentations included: The Challenges of the Multidisciplinary Team – a reflection of the Mercy experience in western Melbourne 
• Palliative Care Australia also has a Multidisciplinary training program for spiritual care in palliative care 
• MND Australia  has a Consumer Fact Sheet on Multidisciplinary Care 
• The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners: Medical Care of Older Persons in Residential Aged Care Facilities Multidisciplinary carepath for palliative care: end stage care 
• The Cancer Australia Website has collated resources and references on Multidisciplinary care

• Mitchell G, Tieman J, Shelby-James T. Multidisciplinary care planning and teamwork in primary care. Med J Aust. 2008 Apr 21;188(8 Suppl):S61-4.
• Pettifer A, Cooper J, Munday D. Teaching interprofessional teamwork in palliative care-a values-based approach. J Palliat Care. 2007 Winter;23(4):280-5.
• Dawson S. Interprofessional working: communication, collaboration... perspiration! Int J Palliat Nurs. 2007 Oct;13(10):502-5. 

This page was created on 27 August 2010
Last updated 27 August 2010*