Improving Cancer MDT performance in Western Sydney - three years' experience.

Background: While multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are now considered an essential part of cancer care decision-making, how they perform varies widely. The authors hypothesised that a comprehensive, multipronged improvement program, and associated annual member survey, could strengthen MDT performance across a whole cancer service.

Methods: The study comprised the introduction of a structured program, the Tumour Program Strengthening Initiative (TPSI) linked with an annual survey of member's perceptions of their performance.

A tool to improve the performance of multidisciplinary teams in cancer care.

Introduction: While multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are well established in many healthcare institutions, both how they function and their role in decision-making vary widely. This study adopted an innovative methodology to assess multidisciplinary team performance and engage teams in performance improvement strategies.

Methods: The study comprised a survey to evaluate MDT members' perceptions of their team's performance before the implementation of the programme and annually thereafter, and a maturity matrix designed as a self-assessment tool.