Interdisciplinary Care

Interdisciplinary care is delivered by a wide range of provider types.

Evidence for the intervention

Evidence describing interdisciplinary care comes from multiple systematic reviews citing low to moderate quality evidence. These reviews draw from randomized control trials sampling from populations that include low back pain, fibromyalgia, and multiple chronic pain conditions. Trials included in these systematic reviews generally had small sample sizes and a lack of clinician and participant blinding, which limited the quality of their findings. Studies examining real-world application of interdisciplinary care note differences in specific treatments offered, but future research is needed to understand which specific components of interdisciplinary care programs are essential to achieving clinical outcomes, and for whom specific components are most helpful. 

Evidence-based Scale

Interdisciplinary care is most often delivered by physical therapists, psychologists, physicians, chiropractors, occupational therapists, nurses, and social workers; other clinicians can include Qigong instructors, massage therapists, and nutritionists.