Stop, collaborate and listen: How teamwork can lead to better patient care

Researchers from the NYU Langone Medical Center recently found that radiologists were more likely to adhere to recommendations developed through collaboration at the institutional level than recommendations passed down from a larger organization.

The study, published by lead author Danny C. Kim, MD, and colleagues for the Journal of the American College of Radiology, made a lasting impression on me.

Of course collaboration improves adherence, I thought. It made perfect sense, yet I had never thought about it in quite those terms.

When radiologists—or any group of individuals, really—play an active role in developing guidelines, it helps them feel connected, like their hard work had a legitimate impact.

It’s not just about pride, though; it’s about the experience. The recommendations observed by Kim et al. were a collaboration between one institution’s radiology department and its division of gynecologic oncology. Specialists weren’t simply told, “hey, make sure you follow these rules!” They were asked for their personal input, sat down with like-minded peers, and worked together on a finished product.

They aren’t just learning these recommendations; they are contributing to them.

Later in the study, the authors went on to explore some other potential benefits of such collaboration; referring physicians gain confidence in their radiologists, for instance, and patients gain confidence in their healthcare provider.

If specialists, referring physicians, and patients all benefit from such teamwork, shouldn’t it happen on a more regular basis?

I hope institutions throughout the U.S. read about these findings and take them to heart. Collaboration at the institutional level won’t always be an option, but when it is, it can make a big difference.

-Michael Walter
Digital Editor