Promoting Excellence in MDT Meetings
Highlights from the IHPN Report
Core Principles:
Effective MDTs are grounded in robust team composition, meeting infrastructure, patient-centred decision-making, and governance frameworks.
Digital platforms and asynchronous formats have become essential tools, especially post-COVID-19, to enhance participation and maintain efficiency.
Best Practices:
MDT meetings are recognised as the gold standard for cancer care and other complex conditions.
Integration of virtual or hybrid platforms is recommended to optimise both patient outcomes and the operational experience for clinicians.
Governance and Innovation:
Strong leadership and structured governance ensure effective MDT outcomes.
Continuous audit and assurance processes enhance quality and compliance.
Patient-Centred Focus:
Proactive patient engagement and clear communication about MDT processes improve trust and treatment outcomes.
Arcadent focuses on independent review and certification of MDT working practices.
Best Practice in Multidisciplinary Team Working
Why Best Practice Matters:
Many MDTs today operate without consistent quality control, external validation, or insurer oversight. This can lead to variable patient outcomes, inefficiencies, and regulatory challenges. Arcadent addresses these issues by bringing structured, credible, and transparent assessment to MDT operations.
High-functioning MDTs are essential for delivering safe, coordinated, and patient-centred care, especially in complex fields like oncology. Arcadent’s certification aligns with the best practice guidance set out by IHPN and the NHS.
Core Principles of Effective MDTs:
Our assessment considers five areas of MDT working:
1. The Team Composition and Leadership
- Clear roles, quorum standards, active participation, and leadership
- Designated MDT chair with formal accountability
2. Infrastructure and Meeting Format
- Meeting format and record keeping during meetings
- Contingency arrangements for system failures, disruption or delays
3. Meeting Organisation & Logistics
- Understanding MDT workflow from referral to final communication of decisions.
- Consistent meeting practices over time
- Governance tracking for decisions and outcomes
- Asynchronous or hybrid formats using trusted platforms
4. Patient-Centred Clinical Decision-Making
- Ensuring patients understand the MDT process
- Shared decision-making and how it is ensured after MDT conclusions
5. Governance and Quality Assurance
- Clinical governance integration
- Documentation and audit processes for assessing MDT Quality
- Conflicts of interest declared, monitored, and managed within MDTs
Innovations We Support:
- Asynchronous MDT platforms
- Chair training and backup systems
- Virtual MDT best-practice toolkits from NHS Cancer Alliances
- Patient engagement and MDT outcome feedback models