Issues in the development of social work information systems: the case of hospital social work departments

Information systems have been proposed as a valuable resource for promoting the efficient and effective operation of hospital social service departments. However, the development and implementation process must overcome the tensions inherent to collection and utilization of structured information by social work practitioners. These include the need for quantified data about qualitative phenomena, compatibility with existing work routines, compatibility with norms and perceptions of information needs at different levels, and potential versus actual utilization of the data. The authors examine these issues and present strategies for dealing with them, in the context of a project to develop a country-wide information system for social work departments in general hospitals in Israel.