Training health and social care professionals in multidisciplinary team working: a documentary analysis of undergraduate educational requirements
Author(s)
Collin, Victoria
Meiring, Samantha
Noden, Sara
Barber, Susan
Hayhoe, Benedict
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Delivery of health and social care in the UK has shifted toward an integrated care approach in which health and social care professionals work together across preexisting healthcare boundaries in interprofessional teams, referred in UK policy as multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs). If integrated working is to be successful, it is essential that all professionals have the necessary skills to work together effectively. We examined the educational requirements relating to MDT working for different health and social care professions as mandated by regulatory or professional bodies in England to determine current standards and how these may vary across professions. Twenty-six documents were searched using keywords related to MDT working for nine professions; Dietetics, Medicine, Midwifery, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy and Social Work. Extracts were subjected to content analysis, and categories mapped across professions. Four categories were identified: Interprofessional learning, MDT working, improving patient care, and healthcare policy. Despite areas of consistency (all professions required learning from other professionals) there were some marked differences. A more consistent approach to training our health and social care workforce would better facilitate integrated care delivery.
Date Issued
2025-03-16
Date Acceptance
2025-02-14
Citation
Journal of Interprofessional Care, 2025, 39 (3), pp.448-458
ISSN
1356-1820
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Group
Start Page
448
End Page
458
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Interprofessional Care
Volume
39
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
License URL
Identifier
10.1080/13561820.2025.2469298
Subjects
Collaborative practice
interprofessional education
multidisciplinary teams
regulation
standards
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2025-03-16