Table 2 TBs characteristics

Definition

Team working among specialists with diagnostic and therapeutic intent, who meet to discuss the diagnosis and management of patients.

Group of different healthcare professionals, who meets together to discuss a patient. Each one is able to contribute independently to the diagnostic and treatment decisions about the patients.

Alliance of health care professionals related to a specific tumour disease. Approach to cancer care is guided by willingness to agree on evidence-based clinical decisions and to coordinate the delivery of care at all stages of the process, encouraging patients to take an active role in their care.

A regularly scheduled discussion of patients, comprising professionals from different specialties. The TB serves as a platform for the coordinated delivery of care through consultation amongst different professionals in a single setting.

Healthcare professionals from different medical specialties working together for specific diseases.

Intent

To discuss diagnosis, treatment and management of patients.

To discuss patients and contribute to the diagnostic and treatment decisions.

To improve communication, coordination and decision-making between healthcare professionals.

Appropriate and up-to-date treatment, structured follow up plan.

To improve coordination and continuity of care, to achieve early referral patterns.

Coordination of care within the team to ensure accurate staging, consideration of different treatment options, continuity of treatment, and follow-up.

To discuss and diagnose patients with complex diseases and formulate a treatment plan according to the guidelines.

Format

Meetings of specialists at specified time either in person, by video or teleconferencing.

Meetings of professionals at a given time, physically, by video or teleconferencing.

(1) Meetings of 30 min - 2 h including either all or a selection of diagnosed and/or referred patients. Patients selection by the specialist in charge on the basis of the case’s level of complexity or the wide range of therapeutic possibilities, prearranged team criteria, or triage by the clinical coordinator.

(2) Clinics in which patients were seen and also simultaneously examined or remotely coordinated by all board members.

(3) Online conferences within a given hospital or nationwide. Meeting presentations involving prospective reviews of new and recurrent cases, previously reviewed cases requiring additional follow-up, and second opinions.

TBs conducted either weekly or fortnightly (daily meetings reported in one study).

Team meetings at periodic intervals (i.e., daily or weekly).

Members

Thoracic physicians, thoracic surgeons, radiation oncologists, specialist radiologist, medical oncologists, pathologists, nursing and allied health staff and palliative-care specialists (there are different local configurations).

Several healthcare specialists.

Team members and attendance vary according to hospital size and medical specialty. Three levels of members involvement. (1) Core and (2) Allied: radiologists, pathologists, surgeons, radiation and medical oncologists, oncology nurses, palliative care physicians, head and neck specialists, nuclear medicine specialists, respiratory disease physicians, gastrointestinal disease physicians and anaesthesiologists; (3) Support: psychologists, nutritionists, dieticians, plastic surgeons, speech therapists, patients’ GPs, physiotherapists, practitioners of complementary medicine, orthopaedic specialists, medical physicists, odontologists, faith counsellors, biologists, data managers, genetic counsellors, hospital pharmacists, social workers and occupational therapists.

Surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and nurse specialists. In addition, professionals from pharmacy, palliative medicine, mental health and other allied health disciplines may also be present.

Different medical specialists.