A multidisciplinary approach to child abuse.

The multidisciplinary approach has been utilized extensively by health care professions working with child abuse and neglect families. The multidisciplinary approach has allowed nurses, physicians, social workers, and mental health workers to collaborate in resolving complex problems. Multidisciplinary teams have taken many forms, depending on the demonstrated needs of the clinical setting. The many functions of the team may be summarized as: information-sharing, decision-making, support, and planning. Additional advantages include role clarification and many benefits for patients and families. Despite a number of well-recognized disadvantages, the multidisciplinary approach appears to have become well established in the child abuse field. Its application to other health care problems may lead to further collaboration among members of the health care professions.