Gaining a Better Understanding of Social Workers

March is Social Work month, a time to recognize the contributions of my fellow social workers in various fields, particularly healthcare.

Social workers play a crucial role in ensuring that patients receive not only medical treatment, but also psychosocial support, and that our healthcare providers receive clarity regarding social barriers our patients face.

The field of medical social work owes much to Ida Cannon, who is recognized as the first medical social worker. In the early 20th century, Cannon revolutionized the integration of social work into healthcare by establishing the first medical social work department at Mass General in 1912. It was Ida and her Medical Director, Dr. Richard Cabot, who believed that the integration of social considerations in medical care would “make medical care effective” and “cure consumption”. She believed that addressing the social and emotional needs of patients was just as important as treating their physical ailments.

Through her advocacy and inclusion of social services work in healthcare settings, Cannon laid the foundation for modern healthcare social work, emphasizing patient-centered care and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Healthcare social workers often assist patients in facing life-altering diagnoses, chronic illnesses, or terminal conditions. They offer counseling and emotional support to help patients, and their families cope with stress, anxiety, and grief. It is often the social worker who is guiding the patient and family through difficult decisions and addressing social complexities.

With the additional need to address the social determinants of health (SDoH) in the acute-care setting, social workers help coordinate care by connecting patients with community resources, arranging post-acute transitional care services, and ensuring a smooth transition from the hospital. Their involvement reduces hospital readmissions and enhances patients’ overall well-being.

Starting with our foundational leaders such as Jane Addams and Ida Cannon, social workers recognize that health outcomes are influenced by more than just medical care. Economic stability, access to nutritious food, safe housing, and social support all play a role in a person’s health. The inclusion and consideration of social risk factors is ingrained in our social work clinical training, ensuring a comprehensive approach to patient care.

Social workers are present in hospitals, hospice care, rehabilitation centers, mental health clinics, skilled nursing homes, home health, and among other settings. In a 2017 study (Steketee, Ross & Watchman) looking at three decades of studies on the outcomes of social workers and patient health outcomes across 16 studies, they found that “social work services had positive benefits for both health and economic outcomes for vulnerable adults, children, pregnant women, and older adults.

The quality of the research was higher when social workers were leaders of the health services rather than members of a team.”

I am likely biased, but I believe that social workers are an indispensable part of the healthcare system, providing holistic support to patients. Their work is a testament to the profound impact that compassion, advocacy, and social responsibility can have on individuals and communities alike.

Programming note: Listen live when Tiffany Ferguson reports this story today on Talk Ten Tuesday with Angela Comfort and Chuck Buck, 10 Eastern.