title: Overcoming obstacles to establish a multidisciplinary team approach to hepatobiliary diseases: a working model in a Caribbean setting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  By providing a structured forum to exchange information and ideas, multidisciplinary team meetings improve working relationships, expedite investigations, promote evidence-based treatment, and ultimately improve clinical outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  This discursive paper reports the introduction of a multidisciplinary team approach to manage hepatobiliary diseases in Jamaica, focusing on the challenges encountered and the methods used to overcome these obstacles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite multiple challenges in resource-limited environments, a multidisciplinary team approach can be incorporated into clinical practice in developing nations. Policy makers should make it a priority to support clinical, operational, and governance aspects of the multidisciplinary teams.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago.
authors.forename: Shamir O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Cawich
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Sundeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Milton
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arthurs
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Kimon O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Bonadie
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago.
authors.forename: Ivor W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Crandon
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago.
authors.forename: Hyacinth E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.affiliation: University Surgical Unit, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abu Hilal
authors.affiliation: University Surgical Unit, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Neil W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Pearce
keywords: cancer; decision-making; health care policy