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. 2017 Sep;37(9):1453-1459.
doi: 10.1007/s00296-017-3751-0. Epub 2017 May 27.

National variation in the composition of rheumatology multidisciplinary teams: a cross-sectional study

Mwidimi Ndosi  1   2 , Rachel Ferguson  3   4 , Michael R Backhouse  5   6 , Lindsay Bearne  7 , Phillip Ainsworth  8 , Alan Roach  9 , Elaine Dennison  10 , Lindsey Cherry  3   4
Affiliations

National variation in the composition of rheumatology multidisciplinary teams: a cross-sectional study

Mwidimi Ndosi et al. Rheumatol Int. 2017 Sep.

Abstract

The objective of this study is to describe the composition of multidisciplinary teams (MDT) working within rheumatology departments across the UK. All rheumatology departments in the United Kingdom (UK) were invited to participate in a national electronic survey between February 2014 and April 2015 as a part of a national audit for the management of rheumatoid and early inflammatory arthritis commissioned by Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership. Rheumatology departments were asked to report their MDT composition; defined as a rheumatologist (consultant or specialist trainee), specialist nurse, occupational therapist physiotherapist, and podiatrist. The data were collected as Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) of each professional group at each department adjusted to 100,000 population. The data were grouped according to British Society for Rheumatology regions to study regional variations. The survey was completed by 164/167 departments (98% response rate). All departments reported an MDT comprising a rheumatologist (consultant or specialist trainee) and almost all included a specialist nurse but only 28 (17%) of the departments had MDTs comprising all the professional groups. There was a high degree of regional variation in the provision of Allied Health Professionals (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and podiatrists) in the UK. MDT care is recommended for the management of inflammatory arthritis, but few UK rheumatology departments have a full complement of healthcare professionals within their MDT. There is a high degree of regional variation in the composition and staffing levels of the rheumatology MDT across the UK; the impact of which warrants further investigation.

Keywords: Arthritis; Health service; Multidisciplinary; National survey; Rehabilitation; Team care.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors. Ethical approval was not required.

Conflict of interest

All authors have completed the ICMJE Unified Competing Interests form. Dr Alan Roach is the Head of Research of British Society for Rheumatology and Mr Phillip Ainsworth was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of British Society for Rheumatology. Dr Michael Backhouse was the President of British Health Professionals in Rheumatology and is a current Trustee of BSR. There are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Funding

The national clinical audit for rheumatoid and early inflammatory arthritis was commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) as part of the National Clinical Audit Programme (NCA). HQIP is led by a consortium of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the Royal College of Nursing and National Voices.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Choropleth map showing the mean number of different health professions represented within a rheumatology department MDT by region
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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