Each health professional specialises in a different area of your care. Each patient has different needs; this can be due to many factors such as the type of illness, its severity, what symptoms you are experiencing and your general health. Seeing health professionals who are experts in their specific field, ensures you receive the best possible care available.
Throughout this program we will use the term healthcare team. This group of health professionals is often referred to as a multidisciplinary team or MDT.
Members of your healthcare team may communicate or meet in person regularly to discuss your care. Knowing who is in your healthcare team and their individual roles is important. An essential part of being a good self-manager is having a healthcare team you can work with, a team with whom you feel confident when talking about your treatments, your needs and your wishes.
Effective communication between you and your healthcare team incorporates:
- Feeling comfortable discussing your concerns, even the embarrassing topics.
- Feeling as though you are receiving adequate information to help you to make informed decisions about your healthcare.
- An open dialogue.
- Making decisions about your health care in partnership with the team.
If you are not sure or feeling troubled about your relationship with your healthcare team or a member of the team, you can ask for a second opinion, or ask to change health professionals. It is ok to do this, health professionals understand that sometimes another team or team member will work more effectively with you. It is crucial that you feel confident with and part of your healthcare team and can talk comfortably with all members.
