Communication and decision-making in a study of a multidisciplinary team conference with the registered nurse as conference chairman

Abstract

It was decided that the medical and nursing staff had to communicate verbally concerning the patient's need for information and to make decisions concerning steps to be taken when satisfying the patient's need for information. The aim of this study was, accordingly, to investigate if a training programme for registered nurses as chairperson of the multidisciplinary team conference (MTC) changed the communication and decision pattern during the neurological ward conference. The training material provided instructions and a scheme for the chairperson of the MTC. The training was carried through with the help of patient case reports and role play. Data were collected through tape recordings of the communication at ten MTCs before the training and ten MTCs after the training. The strictly medical communication was less illuminated, while the patient's psychological needs, especially concerning the patient's need for information, were better illuminated than before the training. After the training 42 information problems were reported and two before. For half of them, decisions were made on the steps to be taken in order to fulfil the patient's need. For the other half, the discussion concerning the patient's need for information was communicated between the staff. Only the decision-making was missed.