The MDM is a meeting of a group of professionals from one or more clinical disciplines, who together review and discuss all relevant components of a patient’s clinical case to arrive at a group consensus on the most appropriate and evidence-based treatment of each individual.
These treatment recommendations are made based on reviews of clinical information such as medical imaging scans, tissue biopsies, blood and urine tests, organ function tests and co-existing medical conditions, in combination with the individual patient’s personal circumstances and health care goals.
The exact membership of the multidisciplinary team depends on the needs of the patients discussed. The range of health professionals in a team may be drawn from Precision Haematology and Epworth Health Care and include:
- Surgeons
- Medical Oncologists
- Radiologists
- Specialist nurses
- Radiation Oncologists
- Pathologists
- Haematologists
- Social workers
- Psychologists
- Physiotherapists
- Speech pathologists
- Dieticians
MDM meetings have been endorsed by the Department of Health as the core model for managing chronic diseases. The evolution of MDM meetings in health care has occurred against a background of increasingly specialised medical practice, more complex medical knowledge, continuing clinical uncertainty and the promotion of the patient’s role in their own care. In this dynamic and evolving environment, it is believed that MDM meetings ensure higher-quality decision-making and improved outcomes.
Individuals who have their medical cases presented are protected by privacy practices to ensure patient confidentiality.
There is no out of pocket cost to you for this type of care. Specialist doctors may be able to claim from Medicare for attending the MDM. In these cases we will ‘bulk bill’ Medicare on behalf of each doctor with no extra fee to be paid by you. If you do not want Medicare to be ‘bulk billed’ by the doctors involved in your case discussion, please discuss this with your doctor.
If you have any questions about these meetings, please make sure to get in touch with our team via email – info@precisionhaematology.com.au