[Social work in public health service as reflected by selected studies--a description of current status]

First of all the author gives a historical review of the importance of social work in public health service. The complementary cooperation between medical doctors and social workers is also described. The author then examines the activities of social workers in public health service on the basis of selected journals and the titles of these papers by graduates from medical "officer of health" courses of the Akademie für öffentliches Gesundheitswesen Düsseldorf. The results show that social work is still a part of counsel and care by the pubic health service. Offers for new target groups are suggested. Another important aspect is the cooperation with other interest groups such as resident doctors or institutions outside the public health office. Better presentation of the profession of social workers is also an important issue.