The multidisciplinary approach

Complex pathologies associated with chronic health conditions must be dealt in a coordinated way and the 'multidisciplinary team' approach (MDTA) represents the most efficacious way of managing these patients. Over the last 25 years, the initial limited field for joint interventions by several specialists has been progressively expanded and this article reviews some of the conditions in which the MDTA has found useful application. This has been the case in fields as diverse as primary healthcare, oncology, diabetes, cardiovascular, chronic kidney diseases and high-risk pregnancy. In the latter situation, an MDTA can offer clear advantages for pregnancies in solid organ recipient women. In these patients, a close collaboration is mandatory between a series of dedicated physicians (including, but not limited to, infertility and maternal foetal medicine specialists, obstetricians, paediatricians, transplant physicians, geneticists and psychologists). Such a team should be active before, during and after pregnancy and should cope with all their reproductive health needs. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.