Social case-work in general practice: an alternative approach

Area of Science:

• Social Work
• Primary Care Medicine
• Family Services

Background:

• Voluntary family casework agencies play a role in supporting primary care.
• Integrating social workers into general practice settings can address complex patient needs.
• A two-year secondment was established between a family casework agency and general practitioners.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a senior social worker's integration into a general practice team.
• To identify common patient referral issues in a primary care setting.
• To assess the collaborative relationship between social workers, general practitioners, and support services.

Main Methods:

• A senior case-worker was seconded to work with three general practitioners over a two-year period.
• 157 new patients were referred to the social worker.
• Referral reasons were documented and analyzed.

Main Results:

• The most frequent referral reasons included extreme poverty, housing difficulties, matrimonial disputes, psychiatric issues, and fatherless family concerns.
• Successful collaboration was achieved between general practitioners, the social worker, and the agency's specialist services.
• The study demonstrated the value of this integrated approach.

Conclusions:

• A professional social worker has a significant and valuable role within the general practice team.
• Integrated social work services can effectively address a wide range of psychosocial issues presenting in primary care.
• Cooperation between primary care physicians and social workers enhances patient support and outcomes.