Team Approach: Organizing and Empowering Multidisciplinary Teams in Postfragility Fracture Care

Abstract

» Numerous healthcare roles can be valuable and effective participants in postfracture care programs (PFCPs) and can also serve effectively as program liaisons/champions.» Greatest success seems to have been achieved when a single entity provides cohesive and consistent training, coordination, shared goals, and accountability for program sites and site leaders.» Few PFCPs have solved what seems to be the fundamental challenge of such programs: how to maintain program effectiveness and cohesion when the patient makes the inevitable transition from acute care to primary care? Creating a partnership with shared goals with primary care providers is a challenge for every program in every location.» Programs located in the United States, with its predominantly "open" healthcare system, seem to lag other parts of the world in overcoming this fundamental challenge.» It is hoped that all PFCPs in all systems can learn from the successes of other programs in managing this critical transition from acute to primary care.