The role of technology in interdisciplinary practice.

Nurses and physicians practice and think differently and, as a result, the information systems they use are different. But managed care and the things it brings with it--care teams, cost control, outcomes management and the move from a "Medical Model" to a "Wellness Model"--is closing the gap between the two. This article examines some of the traditional differences between the two disciplines and the problems these differences present, as well as shared expertise, how managed care is contributing to this overlap and how information systems are evolving to support the new synergies.