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Editor Message
Adding experts to care team
True multidisciplinary care can yield great benefits for patients, but despite all the emphasis that makes the statement almost a cliché, it’s not always what patients receive. I first realized this when I was interviewing the heads of various departments and divisions of a large academic medical center, where for many years I was an editor publishing on the faculty’s clinical work and research.
At some point most said something like, “We want to emphasize that we provide specialized, multidisciplinary care.”
I’d give a little mental editor sigh—because this applies to almost everyone in a major tertiary care center—and ask for specifics. Then I’d hear about the cardiac nurses, exercise physiologists, dietitians, diabetes educators, pharmacists, and psychologists involved in cardiac rehabilitation or the team of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiologists, oncological nurses, social workers, and others providing care and support to patients in the cancer center.
I’m also reminded about the advantages—and the challenges—of a collaborative approach by articles in this issue of LER: Pediatrics.
In “Biomechanical care for juvenile idiopathic arthritis” (page 15), for example, experts interviewed by writer Shalmali Pal discuss a number of ways in which podiatrists, physical therapists, and other lower extremity practitioners can reduce pain and improve mobility and function for children with this most common form of childhood arthritis. The experts also note these specialists aren’t typically on treating physicians’ radar.
This theme is echoed by orthopedic surgeon Amy Yin, MD, in “Biomechanical stress, overuse raise young dancers’ injury risk” (page 6), a research news article reporting on her epidemiological study of pediatric dance injuries. She says, too often, these dancers don’t seek care from physicians with training in dance or sports medicine and rely on dance teachers or general physicians who may not be aware of the potential for the injury—and continued practice—to cause long-term problems.
To bridge the gap, experts suggest lower extremity practitioners with interests in these areas reach out to treating clinicians and explain what they have to offer. Patients, they say, will benefit. That may be a cliché—but I couldn’t agree more.
By Emily Delzell, Senior Editor
News
- O&P teams treat limb loss, deformity in developing world
- Biomechanical stress, overuse raise young dancers’ injury risk
- Foot disability in Down syndrome linked to hallux valgus, narrow shoes