Realising the potential of community-based multidisciplinary teams

Insights from evidence

This briefing summarises evidence from IAU evaluations of three MDTs and wider evidence to inform current efforts to develop integrated care in England. It reflects on what this evidence means for local leaders looking to implement MDTs, as well as for national leaders seeking to support these models of integrated care.

While there is guidance on MDTs and evidence on enablers and barriers to effective team working, there is no single blueprint for MDTs that would guarantee better health outcomes, reduced emergency hospital use or improved patient experience. The effect of MDTs depends on many factors, including team resources and skills, staff engagement, IT resources, access to data, population characteristics, and broader context such as local community services and overall levels of investment.

Therefore, to realise the benefit these initiatives can have, implementation needs to be carefully planned and supported by ongoing monitoring and evaluation. Applying learning health system approaches and providing rapid feedback on whether MDTs are being implemented as planned and achieving the expected results will allow for ongoing learning and improvement.