A Department of Social Work uses data to prove its case [corrected].
The introductions of managed care with its emphasis on cost containment has led a Department of Social Work Services at a large urban teaching center to better document and justify its roles. A concrete result was the saving of social work positions during budget cutbacks and downsizing. There is also information in these data to help clarify the differential roles of social workers and utilization review nurses in the hospital case management/discharge planning processes. The system came about because of concerns around cost containment, the need for more systematic discharge planning and the advent of the Prospective Payment System and Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG's) as a means of reimbursement to hospitals.
Auerbach
C
C
Wurzweiler School of Social Work, New York, NY 10033, USA. Auerbach@ymail.yu.edu
Rock
B D
BD
Goldstein
M
M
Kaminsky
P
P
Heft-Laporte
H
H
D002017:Budgets; D019090:Case Management / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D006751:Hospital Information Systems; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020415:Personnel Downsizing; D012941:Social Responsibility; D012947:Social Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012948:Social Work Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data