Do Multidisciplinary Spine Conferences Alter Management or Impact Outcome?

Background Multidisciplinary spine conferences (MSCs) are a strategy for discussing diagnostic and treatment aspects of patient care. Although they are becoming more common in hospitals, literature investigating how they impact patient care and outcomes is scarce. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of MSCs on surgical management and outcomes in elective spine surgical care. Methods A systematic review of the literature was conducted to evaluate the impact of MSCs on patient management and outcomes. PubMed and Cochrane databases were searched using combinations and variations of search terms “Spine Conferences,” “Multidisciplinary,” and “Spine Team.” Results The literature search yielded 435 articles, of which 120 were selected for full-text review. Four articles (N = 529 patients) were included. Surgical plans were discussed in 211 patients. The decision was altered to conservative treatment in 70 patients (33.17%) and a different surgical strategy in 34 patients (16.11%). The differences were significant in 2 studies (P < 0.05). A 51% reduction in 30-day complications rates was observed when MSC was implemented in patients with adult complex scoliosis. Other spinal disorders showed a 30-day complication rate between 0% and 14% after MSC. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review of outcomes of MSCs in elective spine surgery and it confirms that MSCs impact management plan and outcomes. Consistent MSCs that include surgeons and nonsurgeons have the potential to enhance communication between specialists, standardize treatments, improve patient care, and encourage teamwork. More analysis is warranted to determine if patient outcomes are improved with these measures.