title: Understanding the critical role of social work in safety net medical settings: framework for research and practice in the emergency department.
abstract: Social workers in Emergency Departments (ED) provide counseling, community resource linkage, and discharge planning. The ED is a critical intervention point for patients with multiple unmet medical, psychological, and social needs, and little or no other contact with service providers. In part because of its role as a medical safety net for underserved populations, use of the ED has steadily increased over time. There is limited research examining the utility of social services in the ED. This article provides a brief history of hospital social work and a literature review of ED social work research with the goal of advancing current research and practice agendas.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. meganmoore@berkeley.edu
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ekman
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shumway
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D024382:Professional Role; D012106:Research; D012947:Social Work