Medical Social Work and Team Work
Discussion: Medical Social Work and Team Work
Effective health care teams do not result from a random grouping of professionals. Instead, they are deliberately constructed of members charged with collaborating to meet the biopsychosocial needs of patients. Health care teams include providers from various fields.
The composition of a patient’s health care team is heterogeneous. The fields represented are dictated by the patient’s medical condition, course of treatment, and unique psychosocial situation. Providers who might be found on a health care team include physicians, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and home care workers. Members of health care teams can work in the same health care setting, or they can collaborate across health care settings.
Social workers are integral members of health care teams, given their specialized practice skills and their ability to see patients and their illnesses in multidimensional contexts. In some medical settings, particularly hospitals, it is common to find a professional hierarchy with doctors at the top, nurses in the middle, and allied health professionals—including social workers—at the bottom. Despite this, social workers can display leadership qualities and be responsible for the team’s coordination.
To prepare for this Discussion, review this week’s resources. Think about the composition and functions of independent teams in health care. Consider the collaborative efforts of members of each team in providing patient care. Focus on the roles of medical social work in an interdisciplinary team and the possible challenges faced by a medical social worker in the team.
By Day 2
Post a brief explanation of the philosophy behind teamwork in health care settings. Briefly describe different types of teams and their functions. Explain the essential requirements for effective interdisciplinary practice. Examine the challenges involved in interdisciplinary practice. Focus on the role of the medical social worker in particular.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the resources and the current literature using appropriate APA format and style.
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