Patient awareness and perceptions of a kidney stone multidisciplinary team (MDT): a questionnaire survey.

Abstract

Introduction: Kidney stone disease (KSD) is a common condition associated with high recurrence rates and significant healthcare costs. Multidisciplinary team (MDT) working has become central to the management of many complex conditions; however, its use in KSD remains inconsistent. This questionnaire survey aimed to evaluate patient awareness, understanding, and perceptions of the kidney stone MDT, while identifying opportunities to improve communication and patient engagement.

Methods: A single-centre questionnaire survey was conducted among patients attending the Southampton General Hospital Urology Department (Southampton, UK) between September and December 2025. Patients with and without a history of KSD were invited to complete an anonymous online questionnaire distributed via QR code. The survey included 17 items consisting of multiple-choice, Likert-scale, and open-ended questions assessing awareness of MDT working, perceived benefits, communication preferences, and areas for improvement. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared testing were used for analysis.

Results: A total of 151 responses were collected, including 51 (33.8%) patients with KSD and 100 (66.2%) without KSD. Most respondents believed that MDT working improved both the quality and efficiency of care, and approximately 84% stated that they would want their case discussed within an MDT. Baseline awareness of the MDT system was low, however 92% self-reported improved understanding immediately after participation in the questionnaire. Patients expressed a preference for greater involvement in MDT decision-making, with mean involvement scores of 6.63 and 6.78 among KSD and non-KSD participants, respectively. Email was the most commonly selected communication method within this digitally recruited cohort. No statistically significant differences were detected between groups, but the study was not powered to establish equivalence.

Conclusion: Among respondents, attitudes toward the kidney stone MDT were generally positive, although these findings should be interpreted in the context of a self-selected, single-centre sample. Baseline understanding of MDT working was limited, highlighting opportunities to improve patient information and communication. Future work should use validated tools, broader multicentre recruitment and objective clinical and patient-reported outcomes to evaluate MDT-based care.