What is interdisciplinary breast care and what difference does it make in breast cancer care, outcomes, and medical costs?
Dr. Ellis: Having multiple departments available to provide breast care isn’t enough. The best care is interdisciplinary, meaning medical and support staff members from each discipline work as a team to deliver the best and most individualized care to each patient. Interdisciplinary care streamlines and integrates the work of every specialist involved whenever breast cancer is diagnosed. At Gundersen Lutheran, this approach means the right care begins as quickly as possible, saving our patients from the weeks of anxious waiting that are common at many health care facilities. Preliminary results show that with interdisciplinary breast care, we could achieve a 20% to 40% reduction in total cost for breast cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment when compared to the traditional, disconnected approach. It is our responsibility to improve quality of care and improve outcomes, as well as to be fiscally responsible. Interdisciplinary care, in our experience, makes it possible to accomplish
