Multidisciplinary education: some issues and concerns

This paper begins by questioning the ideologically sanguine assumption that ‘multidisciplinary education’ is, by definition, a ‘good thing’. The fact that this is so widely assumed to be the case is, it is suggested, linked in part to the considerable conceptual confusion surrounding the use of terms. The paper then outlines the way in which these terminological uncertainties created some methodological problems at the beginning of the research project reported here. The salient differences between ‘inter’ and ‘multidisciplinary’ educational initiatives are then examined. The authors move on to consider the appropriateness of applying the ‘evidence‐based’ paradigm to the impact of a particular educational initiative on patient outcome. They conclude by presenting the findings from a two‐year evaluation of the perceived effectiveness of multidisciplinary education in health care, which was funded by the Department of Health.