References to personal experiences and scientific evidence during medical multi-disciplinary team meetings

Abstract

We present a field study of medical multi-disciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) where decisions are made concerning the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from diseases in the upper abdomen. The study shows how evidence is referred to during weekly team meetings; this evidence is related both to scientific studies and to personal experiences of similar cases. We focus on the conversations during the meetings, on the complicated nature of the cases and on the details in the discussions that led the meeting participants to refer to scientific evidence or previous cases. We identify possibilities for improving the use of already documented information from medical records, in order to identify clinically relevant similarities and to bring additional information into the treatment discussion.

Keywords:

• computer supported cooperative work (CSCW)
• medical multi-disciplinary team meetings
• evidence-based medicine
• decision-making

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all the surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, hepatologists and physicians who have been part of their observations, evaluations and design activities. This study was funded by VINNOVA.