Over the years, family physicians have played a key role in health care, working in a variety of settings - from offices to hospitals to communities^.1 This organization of work has fostered relationships among clinicians. By exchanging insights in the hallways and talking about daily issues during breaks, they formed deep bonds and a harmonious community. Today, medicine is more divided into specialties, and practices are becoming larger and more formalized^.1 This leads to a weakening of professional relationships, resulting in a growing sense of isolation among doctors.

It may seem surprising that medicine is a profession conducive to loneliness. After all, doctors spend many hours a day among patients and colleagues. But a 2018 Athenahealth survey of 1,400 physicians revealed a disturbing trend - 25% of respondents admitted to experiencing feelings of loneliness at least once a week despite constant contact with people^.3

Once-complex procedures such as gallbladder removal and appendectomy are now standard outpatient procedures^.3 At the same time, despite increases in efficiency of care, these innovations have negatively impacted the ability of physicians to bond^.3 Moreover, the health system lacks the support to not only relieve physicians of excess administrative duties, but also to provide patients with more comprehensive and holistic care.

Why is teamwork so important in the medical profession?

The medical profession involves a great deal of responsibility and stress, so a sense of community is key. The collaboration that develops within medical teams has numerous benefits. First, it gives doctors a sense of confidence in the decisions they make^.2 The substantive exchange of insights improves the quality of medical services. In addition, it is a source of emotional support that counteracts the feeling of professional loneliness - a phenomenon so common in modern medicine^.2 As a result, the medical team not only strengthens its knowledge, but also builds relationships based on mutual support and trust.

How can you strive to create a cohesive team?

Team building should take place on two levels. First, cooperation between doctors of different specialties is crucial. Second, it is important to create a team consisting not only of specialists, but also of peri-medical staff. The doctor, although a central figure in diagnosing and planning treatment, does not always have the time to discuss all aspects of therapy in depth with the patient or answer all questions. For this reason, an increasingly popular approach is to form treatment teams that share responsibility for patient care.

1. team of specialists

In the management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS) or obesity, patient care requires the interaction of multiple specialists. The physician should not be a solitary therapeutic pillar, but a key part of a larger team. The Polish Society for the Treatment of Obesity (PTLO), in its recommendations on obesity, broadly describes the specialists who should work closely together to make a patient's care and treatment effective^.5 Using this disease as an example, these are:

• The attending physician-responsible for diagnosis, setting the type and goals of treatment, and controlling the entire team in therapy,
• Physiotherapist-especially important for patients with obesity treated by surgery, as part of the preparation program for surgery to improve fitness, and rehabilitation after surgery^,5
• Nutritionist - most relevant in cases where proper nutrition plays a key role. A nutritionist can create an individualized nutrition plan tailored to the patient's needs, taking into account the patient's disease and lifestyle^,5‍
• A psychologist or psychotherapist - an interview with a patient with obesity should include a mental health assessment, since the disease often co-occurs with depression. It is important to diagnose mood disorders and eating habits, and to consider the psychosocial factors of obesity, stress and the patient's motivation.

2. therapy team

Such a team, in addition to the doctor, may include:

• Medical assistants - support the doctor in daily duties, such as maintaining records and coordinating diagnostic tests^,4‍‍.
• ‍health educators - people responsible for educating patients about their disease. For example, a patient with diabetes, they may teach glucose monitoring. A patient who understands his or her disease is more likely to follow medical advice and avoid complications,
• ‍specialty nurses - nurses with specialized knowledge and skills can monitor a patient's health status, perform routine examinations and perform preliminary analysis of results, and provide support in daily functioning.

A vision for a better future

Teamwork in healthcare is not only about relieving the doctor's burden, but above all about feeling:

• communities - building relationships and professional ties,
• Cooperation - working effectively in a group for the benefit of the patient,
• substantive support - the opportunity to consult and exchange experiences.

A patient leaving a doctor's office should not feel alone. He should know that in addition to his attending physician, he has the support of other specialists in his daily struggle with the disease. The implementation of such teams, although requiring organizational changes, is an investment with benefits - both in the form of better health outcomes for patients and greater comfort for medical staff.

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1. Frey J. J., 3rd (2018). Professional Loneliness and the Loss of the Doctors' Dining Room. Annals of family medicine, 16(5), 461-463. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2284
2. Pelc K., (2022), Doublespeak on loneliness, https://www.mp.pl/medycynarodzinna/na-marginesie/wywiady/309814,dwuglos-w-sprawie-samotnosci
3. Pearl R., (2019), Physician Burnout: Isolation, Loneliness And The Loss Of The American Hospital, https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertpearl/2019/08/12/physician-burnout-isolation/?sh=6b5d908858a0
4. Lightening The Load Of Loneliness In Medicine, https://www.chenmed.com/blog/lightening-load-loneliness-medicine
5. Ostrowska, L., Bogdanski, P., & Mamcarz, A. (2021). Obesity and its complications. Practical diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations (1st ed.). PZWL.