Early identification of high social risk

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Social Work Practice
• Client Risk Assessment

Background:

• Hospital social work often relies on external referrals.
• Current referral systems may delay timely intervention for high-risk patients.
• Early social work evaluation is crucial for vulnerable populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a model for identifying high social risk.
• To facilitate early social work evaluation of at-risk clients.
• To improve the efficiency of hospital social work referral processes.

Main Methods:

• Development of a predictive model for social risk.
• Analysis of factors contributing to high social risk.
• Integration of the model into existing hospital workflows.

Main Results:

• The proposed model effectively identifies clients with high social risk.
• Implementation can lead to earlier social work engagement.
• Potential for improved resource allocation within social work departments.

Conclusions:

• A dedicated model can enhance the identification of high social risk.
• Facilitating early intervention improves outcomes for vulnerable clients.
• Reforming referral systems is key to optimizing social work services.