Realising the potential of community-based multidisciplinary teams Insights from evidence

•    Better integration between health and social care services is a longstanding policy objective in England and other countries. A common approach is the development of community-based multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), in which a mix of health and care professionals come together to plan and coordinate people’s care. 

•    Despite widespread policy support, evidence on the impact of community-based MDTs is limited and mixed. This briefing summarises evidence from Improvement Analytics Unit (IAU) evaluations of three MDTs and wider evidence to inform current efforts to develop integrated care in England.

•    To realise the potential of MDTs, this briefing makes four recommendations:

1. Develop a clear, evidence-informed ‘logic model’ (or ‘theory of change’) for how service changes are expected to lead to improvements in care. 
2. Collect data on key aspects of the logic model as part of the implementation of MDTs.
3. Monitor inputs, activities and short- and medium-term outputs. 
4. Undertake robust evaluation to understand what works, for whom and in which contexts. Robust evaluation requires careful design, reliable data and resources – and input and support from both local and national decision makers.