Health care delivery teams made up of persons from various disciplines who share responsibilities, authorities and decision making are called?

Appeared in: DSSSB - 29 August 2019 (Shift-1)

Explanation

The question describes a team model where members from different professions actively collaborate and share responsibility and decision-making.
This model is the definition of an interdisciplinary team, where the focus is on integrated, collective effort and shared goals.
Source SRC_19483 confirms that optimal care in an 'interprofessional team' (synonymous with interdisciplinary) is based on 'shared responsibilities, interactive planning, and collaborative decision making'.
The key differentiator is the 'sharing' of authority and decisions, which is the hallmark of the interdisciplinary approach.

Option B: Intradisciplinary teams consist of members from the same profession or discipline (e.g., a team of only nurses). This contradicts the question's mention of 'persons from various disciplines'.
Option C: In a multidisciplinary team, members from different disciplines work in parallel. They make independent decisions from their own perspective, which are then compiled. There is less emphasis on shared decision-making and authority.
Option D: Transdisciplinary teams go a step further than interdisciplinary teams. In this model, disciplinary lines are intentionally blurred, and members are cross-trained to perform tasks traditionally done by other professions. The question does not describe this level of role-blending.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Types of Healthcare Delivery Teams helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Understanding team dynamics is crucial for nurses, who often act as the central point of communication within the healthcare team.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is linked to improved patient outcomes, higher patient satisfaction, reduced medical errors, and better staff morale.
What if? If the team members only provided individual consultations and a physician made all the final decisions, it would be a multidisciplinary team. This can lead to fragmented care as the holistic view from shared decision-making is lost.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key descriptors in the question stem. The most important phrases are 'various disciplines' and 'share responsibilities, authorities and decision making'.
The phrase 'various disciplines' immediately eliminates 'Intradisciplinary', which involves a single discipline.
Next, focus on the level of collaboration. The word 'share' implies a high degree of integration and collective power.
Compare this with the definitions of the remaining options. 'Multidisciplinary' involves parallel work, not shared decision-making.
'Transdisciplinary' involves role-blurring, which is more specific than what is described.
Conclude that 'Interdisciplinary' is the only term that accurately reflects a team from different disciplines with shared decision-making authority.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Types of Healthcare Delivery Teams
Stem keywords: Health care delivery teams, various disciplines, share responsibilities, authorities, decision making
Lead-in keywords: are called

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E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 2 p. 26-28

Practise the full DSSSB - 29 August 2019 (Shift-1)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.