Challenges in developing collaborative interdisciplinary research between gastroenterologists and engineers

The role of technology in healthcare is rapidly evolving. However, it can be argued that gastroenterology has not kept pace with other medical fields due to the multifaceted needs of this speciality and other issues. Innovation in healthcare technology increasingly requires interdisciplinary collaboration between engineers and clinicians. Nevertheless, working in such an interdisciplinary environment can be challenging due to factors such as working culture, communication and difference in priorities. We surveyed the views of clinicians specialising in gastroenterology and engineers on interdisciplinary health research. The 21 respondents expressed a range of opinions on the perceived benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary collaboration. Though engineers and clinicians recognised its advantages, they expressed a need for further improvement. However, engineers and clinicians differed in how best this could be achieved. The results of this survey are discussed with reference to the literature on interdisciplinary collaboration.