Written by Joe Curcillo

The concept of multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) has revolutionized the way in which businesses operate in the modern world. By bringing together a range of skill sets and perspectives, multidisciplinary teams can provide organizations with new ways of tackling complex problems and meeting their goals. In this article, we will explore the history of multidisciplinary teams and the impact they have had on the way we work.

Healthcare
The concept of a multidisciplinary team has evolved over the past several decades and, for those of you in law enforcement and healthcare, the phrase “multidisciplinary teams” has been around for a long time. The earliest form of this approach can be traced back to the 1950s and 60s when it appeared in the healthcare industry. Medical professionals, in all disciplines, began to realize the importance of working together to provide comprehensive care for patients.

Throughout the 1970s and 80s, teams became more formalized. Teams were formed to treat cancer and heart disease and were comprised of various specialties within the healthcare industry; normally doctors nurses and other professionals. This allowed them to work together on a collaborative process to coordinate care.

Then, in the 1990s, the concept of multidisciplinary teams was expanded to include non-medical professionals. Social workers and psychologists were added. As the concept of a multidisciplinary team developed, the breadth of the team expanded to include those professions that are necessary to complete the cycle of care for patients.

When I was a criminal prosecutor in the 90s, multidisciplinary teams were formed to combat child abuse, thus bringing the concept into the legal world; serving as an oversight to help us make better prosecutorial decisions. Doctors, nurses, sociologists, professors, lawyers, and law enforcement, all work together. They bring to the table the various expertise of the disciplines required to make sound decisions for the safety and welfare of children.

In Business
The existence of multidisciplinary teams, and the collaborative energy they bring, crept into the business world in the late 90s and early 2000s. During this time, businesses began to realize that we live in an increasingly interconnected and complex world, making it hard to solve big challenges using traditional approaches. For this reason, businesses and organizations are turning to multidisciplinary teams that bring together expertise from multiple fields. This allows for a holistic perspective when approaching problems, allowing for more efficient and creative solutions.

The multidisciplinary approach is often used in fields such as science, technology, engineering, and medicine (STEM) where problems are highly complex and require a wide range of knowledge and skills to solve. These teams are typically composed of specialists from different industries and backgrounds, including marketing, design, engineering, IT, business development, customer experience, and more. By working together, team members can leverage their diverse skill sets to come up with innovative solutions that wouldn’t be possible through traditional single-discipline approaches. By having experts from different fields all collaborating on the same problem, teams can access the most relevant information and perspectives. This makes it easier to identify potential solutions that would otherwise have gone unnoticed.

The Rise of Multidisciplinary Teams
The concept of multidisciplinary teams has been around for some time, but they have only recently become an integral part of how businesses operate. Multidisciplinary teams are comprised of people from a variety of backgrounds, who come together to solve complex problems. This type of team relies on the knowledge, skills, and perspectives of its members in order to create solutions using a holistic approach.

Multidisciplinary teams are effective because they offer expertise in multiple fields, providing a broader range of perspectives on any given problem. This type of team is especially valuable when a company needs to generate innovative ideas or develop solutions that require an integrated approach. For example, when creating a new product, a multidisciplinary team can bring together experts from design, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and other disciplines to collaborate on the project.

As companies continue to recognize the value of collaboration and the benefits of working in a multidisciplinary environment, the popularity of this type of team will continue to grow significantly. Leveraging the talents of diverse team members can lead to greater creativity, efficiency, and success. It is no surprise that multidisciplinary teams are becoming increasingly common in the workplace.