Service user perspectives on the 'rehabilitation team' and roles of professionals within it

The multi-disciplinary team nature of rehabilitation work is considered. A descriptive study is reported concerning service users' (n =18) views of (a) the nature and composition of the multi-disciplinary team and (b) the role of different professionals within it. The results indicate that although service users made clear and accurate distinctions between the roles of different professionals, their understanding of the composition of the 'team' was less good. Most omitted some professionals (especially psychologists and social workers) who were team members and included others who were not (other 'patients', GPs etc.). Service users made relatively subtle distinctions, especially differentiating different types of 'talking' with staff: social chatting with nurses and OTs, talking with psychiatrists to evaluate symptoms, receiving advice from social workers and consideration of deeper, more sensitive areas with psychologists. The need for users to receive more information about the structure of the 'teams' is discussed.