Consultants at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) are taking steps to enhance teamwork and communication among specialists, with the goal of improving patient care.
They made this known on Tuesday during the Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), LASUTH chapter.
The conference theme was: “Multidisciplinary Approach to Patient Care: Context and Content”.
A multidisciplinary approach to patient care involves a team of healthcare professionals from different specialties—such as doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and other medical and paramedical staff—collaborating to develop a comprehensive, tailored treatment plan for each patient.
Dr. Oluwajimi Sodipo, a Consultant Family Physician at LASUTH, stated that consultants must strengthen collaboration, especially as the number of patients with two or more coexisting chronic conditions continues to rise across the country.
Sodipo emphasized that patient-centred clinical care should shift toward interdisciplinary care, which promotes active communication, shared decision-making, and holistic treatment, rather than independent or siloed actions.
“A patient might present to the family medicine department and later require referral to nephrologists (kidney specialists), neurologists (nerve specialists), or orthopaedic surgeons (bone specialists),” he explained.
“In the past, such patients were simply given a referral letter, and the treatments provided elsewhere were often unknown to the primary doctor.”
“We have concluded that—whether for outpatients or inpatients—we must communicate more effectively so everyone understands the rationale behind decisions and interventions.”
“This will help prevent issues arising from poor communication, such as patients receiving duplicate medications, undergoing treatments unknown to their primary doctor, or facing decisions made without input from the managing team or other healthcare professionals involved.”
Sodipo noted that improved communication among doctors would lead to better patient care and empower patients, who would feel more confident knowing their healthcare team is aligned on their treatment plan.
“This approach shifts responsibility from a single provider to a collaborative group, focusing on the patient’s holistic needs—including physical, mental, and social well-being.”
He stressed that greater collaboration among healthcare professionals would strengthen the sector, reduce rivalry, and promote improved patient outcomes.
“We are working with our various bodies and hospital management to institutionalize this approach and achieve the best possible outcomes,” he added.
Sodipo expressed optimism that this model could serve as an example for other hospitals and healthcare systems in Nigeria and West Africa.
Similarly, Prof. Olufunmilade Omisanjo, a Professor of Surgery at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and Consultant Urologist at LASUTH, said strengthening multidisciplinary team-based care would minimise medical errors and improve patient outcomes.
He noted that this approach prioritises patient safety, enabling swift, effective, and tailored treatment while making optimal use of the hospital’s resources.
Omisanjo acknowledged that implementing multidisciplinary team (MDT) care can be challenging due to issues such as scheduling conflicts, resource limitations, differing opinions, and traditional hierarchies in medicine.
Despite these obstacles, he emphasised the need to continue championing MDT care across specialties for better patient outcomes.
Also speaking, Dr. Joy Chionuma, Chairman of MDCAN LASUTH, described the multidisciplinary approach as a paradigm shift in healthcare delivery, with the patient at the centre of the process.
She said involving diverse expertise improves patient outcomes through prompt and accurate diagnosis, as well as the initiation of effective treatment strategies that reduce avoidable morbidity and mortality.
The Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, highlighted that the tertiary hospital is inherently multispecialist and multidisciplinary, with over 200 consultants across its eight clinical departments, each with various subspecialties.
He emphasised that hospital management has long championed a multidisciplinary approach to ensure holistic, high-quality patient care.
Dr. Toni Adeyemi, Senior Special Assistant on Health to the Lagos State Governor, pointed to the state’s referral system from primary to tertiary care levels.
He noted that this system ensures specialists at the teaching hospital collaborate effectively, delivering true multidisciplinary care to patients.
