A multidisciplinary collaborative web site for cardiovascular surgery

Abstract

Key Points: * Patients, healthcare providers, and students have differing information needs in regard to surgical procedures. * Often, separate information sources are designed for each group, resulting in fragmented information. * Interactive, multidisciplinary, collaborative Web site is being developed to address the needs of all members of the healthcare team. Cardiovascular surgical (CVS) settings encompass shared physical spaces that are accessible to patients, physicians, nurses, residents, and other members of the healthcare team.1 Dynamic, fluid interactions are constantly occurring among various members of the team at any point in time.1 Within these interactions, each member seeks to meet unique information and communication needs. For example, patients require information and support for learning and application of new self-care behavior skills, residents and students require mentorship to guide practice, and nurses and physicians require up-to-date empirical and theoretical information to revise and evaluate existing care endeavors. Traditionally, separate resources have been designed and administered for each member of the healthcare team; however, a single intervention that addresses the needs of each member of a multidisciplinary team has not been designed or evaluated.2,3 We developed an interactive, multidisciplinary, collaborative Web site as an intervention designed to address the needs of all members of the healthcare team, including patients. The Web site addresses the needs of postoperative patients, cardiovascular medical residents, nursing students, and other trainees, as well as nurses and physicians. In doing so, the site mimics the collective functioning of the existing healthcare teams within a shared physical space. The Web site can be accessed by different members of the healthcare team anywhere there is a wireless connection, and so it does not depend on shared physical space. Furthermore, it allows for interactive discussion through online chat rooms and open forums. As a result of this Web site, we anticipate an increase in the quality of patient care that is delivered within the CVS setting.