ultidisciplinary clinics (MDCs) are an emerging model of health care delivery, offering patients coordinated care services to diagnose problems early and develop cohesive treatment plans. MDCs are commonly used in oncology, (1) type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), (2) and women's health, (3) where they improve patient satisfaction and clinical and financial outcomes. In this review, we examine current MDC models and share a framework for patients with NAFLD to guide development of future multidisciplinary NAFLD programs.
Multidisciplinary Care Models in MedicineWhile traditional health care delivery models consist of physicians assessing patients independently, MDCs promote coordinated care by integrating consultations and centralizing into a single clinic space. MDCs are often seen in oncology practices where multiple consultations are coordinated by a navigator into a single visit. (4) Many also have weekly conferences involving multiple providers who discuss and coordinate management plans and follow-up. (4,5) These models promote evidence-based, patient-centered plans and have been shown to improve clinical outcomes. (5) For example, a single-day MDC for patients with liver cancer that features a central clinical coordinator and frequent team meetings reported improvement in diagnosis, treatment, patient-provider communication, and satisfaction. (6) Despite variations in structure, MDCs are also well received by patients. In traditional sequential referral models of care, patients perceive poorer physician communication, inefficient use of time, misdiagnosis, mistreatment, and decreased satisfaction, which can lead to seeking a second opinion. (7) Conversely, patients in MDCs enjoy improved patient-physician communication and increased efficiency of travel time, appointments, and testing. (4,8) MDCs also improve patient experience and quality of life in cancer care, while reducing health care costs. (9)
Multidisciplinary Care in NAFLDThe complexity of NAFLD and its associations with metabolic disease, cardiac and diabetic complications, and lifestyle factors make it ideal for multidisciplinary care. Patients with metabolic syndrome are at high risk for developing NAFLD complications, such as cirrhosis and HCC. (10) Data also suggest