Computerized information systems for social workers in health care

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Social Work in Healthcare
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Social workers' roles in preventive medicine, discharge planning, and resource integration are expanding in healthcare.
• Information technology (IT) offers potential for efficient, accurate, and comprehensive patient records.
• Adoption of IT by healthcare social workers for patient data has been slow.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of a prototype information system for healthcare social workers in ambulatory care.
• To demonstrate how a shared computerized database can improve interdisciplinary patient care coordination.
• To address emerging issues related to social workers' use of computerized information systems.

Main Methods:

• Development of a prototype information system tailored to ambulatory care social work tasks.
• Implementation of a shared computerized database for interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Analysis of emerging issues and challenges in adopting computerized information systems.

Main Results:

• The prototype system supports diverse social work functions in ambulatory care settings.
• A shared database demonstrated improved coordination among multiple healthcare disciplines.
• Key issues and trends in the use of computerized systems by social workers were identified.

Conclusions:

• Information technology can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare social work.
• Shared computerized databases are crucial for improving patient care coordination across disciplines.
• Addressing emerging issues is vital for the successful integration of IT in social work practice.