Teams, Teaming, and Complex Systems in Cancer Care

Abstract

Cancer is a complex disease with multiple different etiologies, forms, progressions, and outcomes. Cancer care systems have evolved into complex arrangements that are dynamic adaptable systems including teams, multiteam interfaces, and teaming. [1][2][3] These systems are capable of achieving amazing patient care inconceivable a generation ago, but also come with many complexities and their own challenges. This special series highlights many of those challenges and potential solutions.Author affiliations and support information (if applicable) appear at the end of this article.

Improving the quality of patient care in lung cancer: key factors for successful multidisciplinary team working

“…MDTs should consider how they could engage with other teams to support individuals with multiple care and social needs. The cancer healthcare system can be envisioned as a multilevel set of factors that affect patients at the different stages of the cancer treatment continuum and various forms of teamwork are executed by different overlapping care providers in this continuum [ 82 ]. Furthermore, the prevalence of multiple chronic conditions among lung cancer patients may require a multidisciplinary clinical “team of teams” or a multi-team system [ 83 ].…”

“…Some of this information and other aspects related to the functioning of these groups (i.e. strengths and weaknesses) can be gathered through a structured survey across operational teams [80], while the measurement of supporting processes and outcomes requires a more comprehensive mechanism to quantify and demonstrate the ongoing results of any MDTs [81]. Key Performance Indicators should be defined in collaboration with all members to ensure consensus, considering that some performance indicators could deteriorate with the introduction of MDTs.…”