Multidisciplinary Team Care in Plastic Surgery

Jessica A. Ching, MD, FAAP

I am honored to serve as the guest editor for this issue of Seminars in Plastic Surgery, focused on multidisciplinary care clinics within plastic surgery. Much of my experience as a craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgeon involves collaborating across specialties to provide the highest quality care to patients, and through these collaborations, I have noted a few key observations.

First, I have seen the direct and indirect benefit to patients when we are able to do multidisciplinary clinics well. Multidisciplinary clinics allow a level of care coordination that is unmatched. Not only do patients have security knowing their team has collectively weighed in and developed a treatment plan that is specific to them and their needs, but they also experience decreased appointments, streamlined care, and an improved ability to follow through on the team recommendations.

In addition to patients, there is a huge benefit to providers. Having all the relevant specialties participating in the discussion eliminates many after-hours conversations between providers to coordinate care plans. Providers also experience the benefit of learning from each other in real-time. As the group works together, there is reduction of duplicated efforts and improved task delegation that makes the patient's care more efficient.

Finally, multidisciplinary clinics do not take shape overnight. They often are the product of significant labor and advocacy to come into existence and then are refined over time. In this issue, we will highlight several multidisciplinary clinics relevant to plastic surgery that are the product of that refinement into their present-day form. These articles of Seminars in Plastic Surgery will be useful to those who are initiating or revamping clinics that are currently advocating for resources and/or trying to demonstrate the foundational components for successful patient care, as well as those with existing clinics that may find elements for inspiration they can apply to their own context.

Just as the setting, patient population and available resources vary, no two clinics are exactly the same, but the responsibility to provide the highest quality care remains consistent. The utilization of multidisciplinary clinics offers an avenue to achieve the excellence in patient care that we all strive so hard to provide.

Lastly, I would like to graciously thank the editors for allowing me to contribute to this issue.

Publication History

Article published online:
21 May 2025