Towards holistic social work practice in general medical settings

Area of Science:

• Social Work Practice
• Medical Collaboration
• Interdisciplinary Healthcare

Background:

• Social work in medical settings requires specific practice models.
• Collaboration between social workers and medical practitioners is crucial for patient care.
• Understanding interprofessional dynamics is key to effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a generalist practice model for social work with general medical practitioners.
• To identify essential values, knowledge, and skills for this interprofessional collaboration.
• To enhance social work effectiveness within healthcare systems.

Main Methods:

• Development of a generalist practice model by field educators and social work students.
• Focus on values, knowledge, and skills for intervening in diverse social systems.
• Analysis of factors facilitating effective collaboration and conflict resolution.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive generalist model for social work practice with physicians was developed.
• Effective collaboration is linked to administrative ties and mutual awareness of client care perceptions.
• Conflict resolution is improved by focusing on patient well-being and articulating a holistic practice perspective.

Conclusions:

• The developed model provides a framework for social work practice in medical settings.
• Strong interprofessional relationships and shared understanding improve patient outcomes.
• Social workers play a vital role in integrating social, economic, political, and health factors in patient care.