SW follows patients with discharge challenges.
Patients at Medical City Dallas Hospital who are likely to have discharge challenges are assigned a dedicated social worker who spends time with patients and family members and starts to identify resources early in the stay. In some cases the patient's psychosocial issues take more time to address than their clinical needs. Whenever possible, the social workers encourage patients and families to pay a portion of the cost of their post-discharge medications. Social workers and case managers educate unfunded patients about resources such as clinics for low-income patients and the new healthcare exchange.
D019090:Case Management; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D008489:Medical Indigency; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012947:Social Work; D013781:Texas