title: Organizing a multidisciplinary clinic.
abstract: Multidisciplinary cancer care models have become increasingly more popular in recent years. This comprehensive approach to care delivery has evolved to address numerous medical and social aspects critical to all patients diagnosed with cancer. Because of the sheer number of specialists involved in the care trajectory of patients with cancer, multidisciplinary care models add significant value in facilitating communication between specialists and in coordinating care. Multidisciplinary models also allow for new and innovative therapies to be incorporated more quickly than is seen in single provider care. Two principal modes of multidisciplinary care have been described-the tumor board and the multidisciplinary clinic. While tumor boards are well established in oncology literature and practice, there is growing support favoring the use of multidisciplinary clinics, bringing providers together at the point of care. In this section, we describe recent data demonstrating the value of the multidisciplinary approach, with particular focus on the creation and potential benefits of a formal multidisciplinary clinic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Page
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cosgrove
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA.
authors.forename: Shereef M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Elnahal
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.affiliation: Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology, Professor of Surgery and Oncology, John L. Cameron Professor of Alimentary Tract Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Blalock 688, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. tpawlik1@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Pawlik
keywords: Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MDTB); multidisciplinary clinic; outside providers (OSPs)