Jump to
Content or
Navigation
Note: This content is accessible
to all versions of every browser. However, this browser may not support basic
web standards,
preventing the display of this site's design details.
Some popular browsers that support these standards (so that content may be accessible
to all users) are:
Health Care Teams
Goals of Teams
One of the reasons for using a team approach to provide health care service is the growing realization that any one professional does not have the necessary skills or knowledge to properly handle a patient with complex problems. The team approach integrates the unique skills and knowledge of medical specialists and reduces the potential for uncoordinated and contradictory treatment plans. HIV/AIDS patients face an interplay of chronic and acute medical and pyschosocial problems that may be too complex for one provider to handle alone and many of these problem have a profound affect on the dental treatment. Assembling a group of providers may enhance the care plan and provide knowledge from multiple disciplines. Providers can increase coordination by working together and the client will have important issues addressed in a comprehensive and integrated care plan. Dentists, physicians, nurses, social workers, and other providers must recognize when referrals to other providers are necessary and know what outcomes to expect. Knowledge of the skills of other health providers is increasing important for all medically compromised patients, but is critical in the care of patients with HIV/AIDS.
Characteristics of Successful Teams
The primary goal of a healthcare team is to provide quality patient care, however we must recognize what feeds into the goals that determine a team actions.
- Patient Goals. The patient seeks care with specific goals or a chief complaint in mind such as "I want my pain to go away," or "I want my teeth to look nicer." The task of the team is to help to the patient meet their goals and sometimes to set realistic expectations for the patient. Sometimes the patient, guardian, or care giver is involved in setting goals.
- Professional Goals. Professional roles also influence the team's goals. Some of these goals may be unrelated to the welfare of the patient. Examples of professional goals might be to educate other team members on a particular topic or facet of care, to increase one's professional status, to move toward greater autonomy. Professional goals may appear inherently counter to the welfare of the patient, but these goals must be verbalized and understand by the team members so they will become shared team goals.
- Organization Goals. The healthcare organization contributes to the goals of the team. For example adopting a new patient charting system or a new communications technology may not deal directly with the patient they may ultimately improve patient care.