Research Paper on:
Case Study/Collaborative Practice

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which requires insulin and Hepatitis C. The patient was being treated for hypertension prior to the stroke, but was non-compliant in taking the required medication. The multiple chronic conditions that  apply to this case scenario not only suggest the need for collaborative care among a multidisciplinary team, but also this case also indicates that collaborative care is also appropriate to  specific aspects of this individual case. For example, due to the complexity of diabetes care, research has found that collaborative care for diabetic patients provides an effective approach to aiding  these patients (Robinson, et al, 2004). A multidisciplinary team addressing the patients diabetic condition, from a collaborative standpoint, may include a "variety of disciplines," such as "medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dietetics  and medical technology" (Robinson, et al, 2004, p. 490). Of course, this would be addressing only the patients diabetes. Research states that a stroke multidisciplinary team generally encompasses "medical, nursing,  (and) physiotherapy," as well as "occupational and speech and language therapies" (Langhorne and Dennis, 2004, p. 834). Additionally, the patients history indicates problems with cocaine and non-compliance with crucial medical  instructions. This suggests problems with mental illness, possibly depression, and this should be addressed by the addition of a mental health practitioner within this collaborative care structure. Williams (2004)  points out that patients with comorbidities have additional needs that serve to increase the complexity of care. Various models of care, such as case management, have been developed in order  to co-ordinate care across a variety of settings (Williams, 2004). However, research shows that this care is frequently disjointed, as disease management programs typically target individual chronic illness (Williams,  2004). Various collaborative care delivery systems have been devised in order to address this problem. For example, stepped care models were formulated in the US as a means to