title: Knowledge and attitude toward interdisciplinary team working among obstetricians and gynecologists in teaching hospitals in South East Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interdisciplinary team working could facilitate the efficient provision and coordination of increasingly diverse health services, thereby improving the quality of patient care. The purpose of this study was to describe knowledge of interdisciplinary team working among obstetricians and gynecologists in two teaching hospitals in South East Nigeria and to determine their attitude toward an interdisciplinary collaborative approach to patient care in these institutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and was carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 17.0 for Windows.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 116 doctors participated in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 31.9±7.0 (range 22-51) years. Approximately 74% of respondents were aware of the concept of interdisciplinary team working. Approximately 15% of respondents who were aware of the concept of interdisciplinary team working had very good knowledge of it; 52% had good knowledge and 33% had poor knowledge. Twenty-nine percent of knowledgeable respondents reported ever receiving formal teaching/training on interdisciplinary team working in the course of their professional development. About 78% of those aware of team working believed that interdisciplinary teams would be useful in obstetrics and gynecology practice in Nigeria, with 89% stating that it would be very useful. Approximately 77% of those aware of team working would support establishment and implementation of interdisciplinary teams at their centers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a high degree of knowledge of the concept and a positive attitude toward interdisciplinary team working among obstetricians and gynecologists in the study centers. This suggests that the attitude of physicians may not be an impediment to implementation of a collaborative interdisciplinary approach to clinical care in the study centers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Chukwuemeka Anthony
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Iyoke
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Lucky Osaheni
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Lawani
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: George Onyemaechi
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Ugwu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Leonard Ogbonna
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Ajah
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Euzebus Chinonye
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ezugwu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Onah
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Chidinma Ifechi
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Onwuka
keywords: Nigeria; gynecology; interdisciplinary; obstetrics; team working