Visualized shared mental modeling: an adapted practical framework for interdisciplinary teams solving complex problems in healthcare

Healthcare systems and the scientific community are increasingly recognizing the need for multidisciplinary, inter-organizational perspectives and skill sets to tackle the most pressing challenges of our time to improve human health. However, as our approach to scientific inquiry is evolving, our methods of working across teams remain largely unchanged. Using a case example of a human-centered design project focused on improving care transitions during reentry to the community from incarceration, this paper details the importance and function of visualized shared mental models for multidisciplinary teams addressing complex multisystem problems. This paper contributes a practical framework for developing a stakeholder-validated, visualized shared mental model (vSMM). This framework provides a pragmatic process that enables multidisciplinary teams to develop shared understanding, navigate complexity, and coordinate effectively across systems. By describing both process and application, this paper provides a tool to enhance collaboration in health-oriented research, quality improvement, innovation, and implementation processes.