ELEMENTS FOR A PROPOSED CPHA POLICY STATEMENT ON THE MULTIDISCIPLINARYHEALTH TEAMSource: Canadian Journal of Public Health / Revue Canadienne de Sante'e Publique, Vol. 64, No.1 (January/February 1973), pp. 99-100Published by: Canadian Public Health AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41987115 .

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POLICY STATEMENTS

CPHA members are urged to study the draft policy statements and supporting papers presented on the following pages prepared by executive members of the Health Services Di- vision to be considered at the Association* s Annual Meeting in Montreal on April 26. The three policy areas covered are "The Multidisciplinary Health Team " " Regional -

ization," and t( Remuneration of Health Per-

sonnel " A fourth policy statement for con- sideration at the annual meeting on lf Quality in Health Care" appeared in the November J December 1972 issue of the Journal.

Members not in a position to present views at the time of the Annual Meeting may for- ward them in advance to the Chairman , Health Services Division , 1255 Y onge Street, Toronto. M4T 1W6

ELEMENTS FOR A PROPOSED CPHA POLICY STATEMENT ON THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY HEALTH TEAM

The provision of adequate health services for all Canadians is a goal which the Cana- dian Public Health Association and her pro- vincial affiliates share with all levels of gov- ernment in Canada. At the present time, health services in Canada are undergoing close scrutiny by all segments of our society and health professionals are now subjected to intensive study by consumers, representatives of the population and colleagues in related fields. Reports of these studies indicate the need for change; they suggest that changes should be directed toward greater co-ordina- tion of the different components of the health delivery system and increased avail- ability of high standard health services for all citizens. Such changes will require more ef- fective utilization of all available resources, especially the scarce and costly resources of health personnel manpower.

It is an accepted principle that any change in a practice setting involves a change in the ways people relate to each other and in the ways in which they carry out their tasks. Health professionals must be sensitive to this principle and recognize that the ever expand- ing technology of health services renders them progressively incapable of fulfilling independ- ently all areas of patient care and community needs. Depending heavily on community pro-

vided resources, health professionals are, of necessity, committed to the prevention of a fragmented approach to the delivery of health services. Their organization and inte- gration in multidisciplinary teams are in- creasingly effective means of promoting comprehensive, continuous and more effec- tive health services.

Teamwork has been defined as "simply a close co-operative plan of action of various individuals working together for a common goal". Taking this definition one step further and applying it to the delivery of health serv- ices, this Association thinks of a multidisci- plinary health team as one "consisting of at least one member of two different profes- sions working together for the provision of health services to a clearly defined population for which it is accountable."

Within the stated objectives of the Cana- dian Public Health Association and the defi- nition of a multidisciplinary health team the following are offered as guidelines in formu- lating policy statements.

In general, the Canadian Public Health Association believes:

l.That improvements in the availability of health care to all citizens are linked to the capacity of the health professionals to

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work together, each developing and using their competencies to the maximum;

2. That an organized interdisciplinary health team can deliver more continuous and comprehensive health care services;

3. That wherever possible, the maximum use of the multidisciplinary health team be made for the delivery of comprehensive health services and to reduce compart- mentalization of services;

4. That the realignment of health profes- sionals implied in the multidisciplinary team model will demand a co-operative effort on the part of those providing the academic and training programs and of those administering health services to help health professionals providing the services to adapt to this organizational mode;

5. That, with the changing concepts of health services in our society, we must change the patterns of preparation, mo- bility and advancement in established health careers and adapt these elements as needs arise;

6. That within multidisciplinary health teams, emphasis be put on interdisci- plinary efforts, interdependent co-oper- ation being a counterpart of special- ization, the greater specialization calling for a greater co-operation;

7. That it is imperative for team members to develop respect and confidence for the other professionals of the multidis- ciplinary team as well as confidence and security in their own area of expertise;

8. That the concept of the Nurse Prac- titioner*, who as a member of the multi- disciplinary health team will function in an expanded role in providing primary health care, is a valid application of the adaptation of an established health pro- fession;

* "The Mirse Practitioner is a nurse employed] in an expanded role oriented to the provision of primary health care às a member of a team of health pro- fessionals. relating with families on a long term basis" -Spitzer W.O., Kergin D.J. "The Nurse Prac- titioneť: Calling a Spade." Ontario Medical Review, 1971, 38:165.

9. That multidisciplinary health teams be de- veloped and evaluated without delay to assist health professionals to identify the specific functions and shared responsibili- ties of team members as they relate to meeting individual and group needs;

10. That it be left to health team members to plan, within overall policies, the oper- ational procedures that will contribute to the most effective functioning of the group;

1 1 . That as change agents, the multidisci- plinary health team members make a commitment to active collaboration and join in participatory review, planning and evaluation of co-operative health services delivery;

12. That remuneration of the health team members must be mutually non-exploitive in nature; it must be based on their re- spective roles, functions and responsi- bilities; it must be comparable to equiva- lent areas of professional practice; it must be supported by incentives to achieve the stated goals of the health delivery system.

13. That the traditional concept of "team leadership" being ipso facto, the pre- rogative of the physican be abandoned in favour of a flexible leadership which can be vested in whichever member of the health team can fill the role most appro- priately in any given situation.

14. That provincial governments review and revise licensure and regulatory mecha- nisms to improve public accountability and flexibility of the health care profes- sions.

15. That provincial governments undertake review and revision of health manpower training policies to facilitate professional growth based on a "career ladder" prin- ciple.

16. That special recognition be given to the recruitment and preparation of native people for employment at all levels of the health care system.

100 Canadian Journal of Public Health Vol. 64

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