Multidisciplinary research in healthcare
The cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to health and wellbeing research is now considered as the most appropriate approach in order to foster the necessary breakthroughs in healthcare. This approach necessitates a multidisciplinary understanding, as well as skillsets within different domains such as medicine, computer science, engineering, cognitive sciences etc. The interdisciplinary nature of such research can drive short-term and long-term improvements that can significantly impact health and wellbeing of individuals.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), researchers from different disciplines can work together to solve complex problems resulting in significant improvements in healthcare and wellbeing. Accordingly, the current academic environment needs to foster such collaborations between different disciplines, especially in the field of medical research.
The multidisciplinary approach to healthcare and wellbeing research is still relatively new, and we are still far from having sophisticated cross-disciplinary studies that can impact health and wellbeing in a significant way. It is also difficult for scientific investigators with different orientations and skillsets to collaborate since they do not share a common language and culture.
However, researchers and practitioners can foster multidisciplinary research approaches by understanding the nature of the problems to be solved and sharing a common language and culture. The multidisciplinary approach to health and wellbeing research may provide opportunities for integrative research which can uncover synergies between different disciplines leading to improved technologies, therapies, preventive measures etc.
Multidisciplinary research resulting in positive outcomes may be driven by technology advances and by cross-disciplinary collaborations. Given the ongoing technological progress driven by exponential growth in computing power, artificial intelligence, big data analytics etc., it is now possible for scientists with different skillsets to collaborate on projects with far reaching implications for healthcare and wellbeing.
Instead of attempting to tackle the above problems separately, there is a need for research teams with skillsets from different scientific disciplines to put their knowledge and expertise together in order to solve these complex problems. This approach has been termed as multidisciplinary research.
Multidisciplinary research can be defined as “the process an interdisciplinary group undertakes in order to find answers to questions that may involve research from two or more scientific disciplines and domains of knowledge”. It requires expertise and understanding of multiple disciplinary areas and can be applied within and across clinical, educational, health policy and/or administrative settings.
Multidisciplinary approaches are necessary for addressing some of the most pressing global challenges such as air pollution, climate change, infectious diseases etc.
At Indimed, we are enthusiastic to work with researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs from different walks of life to push forward the boundaries of smart health solutions and bring about meaningful change in people’s lives.