Interdisciplinary partnerships help break down silos and build shared solutions
Today's complex health and social issues—from community safety to health reform—require an integrated approach to preventing illness, injury, and inequality. Quality prevention promotes interdisciplinary partnerships that merge knowledge, perspectives, and tools from diverse fields to generate appropriate comprehensive solutions. Effective partnerships include community stakeholders and incorporate community perspectives into integrated prevention strategies.
Integrated partnerships can be crafted with the express purpose of building effective relationships among people who possess complementary pieces of a shared solution. For instance, if a community is concerned about high rates of traffic-related injuries among children, its health leaders would consult with traffic engineers, planners, law enforcement agents, automobile manufacturers, school officials, and parents. An interdisciplinary approach, such as this, helps to break down silos, fostering collaborative efforts to find mutually beneficial solutions.
