Standardized screening of elderly patients' needs for social work assessment in primary care: use of the SF-36

Fewer hospitalizations and decreased lengths of stay in the hospital have resulted in an increased need for extensive support services and continuing care planning for elderly people in primary care. Early identification of elderly patients needing community and hospital nonmedical services is necessary so that timely appropriate services can be delivered. This study addresses the issue of whether a standardized health-related quality of life questionnaire, the SF-36, can be used independently as a screen predicting primary care elderly patients' needs for social work assessment. In addition, the question of what scales on the SF-36 a social worker would use to screen patients in need of assessment is explored.