Interdisciplinary teams in health care and human services settings: are they effective?

Empirical evidence for the efficacy of interdisciplinary teams is essential in the current context of managed care. Because careful assessment of the interdisciplinary team has important implications for patients and health care professionals, as well as employers, the authors read over 2,200 abstracts and analyzed 224 articles from four databases in eight health-related fields. Articles were grouped by the type of analysis engaged in by their authors (descriptive, process-focused, empirical, or outcome), by methodology (none, general research, or quantitative), and by domains of interest (patient care, personnel, or management). Findings indicate significant weaknesses in terminology and research content. Directions for future research that would help ascertain the contribution of the interdisciplinary team are outlined.