Healthcare Missions Teams: Interdisciplinary Synergy Changes Lives.

Abstract: A healthcare short-term mission trip to provide rehabilitation care to residents in North Africa provided the opportunity for effective interdisciplinary collaboration. An occupational therapist and two physical therapists from the United States collaborated with three indigenous nurses and two in-country physicians to build bridges and learn together while caring for patients. The focus on interdisciplinary care allowed for real-time sharing of rehabilitation expertise; the visiting therapists and local nurses and physicians all gained new skills and insights while offering life-changing care.