MANAGED CARE AND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE: THE UNTOLD STORY

Abstract

For many years, social workers have tried to establish their profession as onebased on scientific principles. Following the tradition of medicine, influentialleaders in social work are challenging clinicians and researchers to develop andimplement evidence-based practice (EBP) models. Although various authorshave discussed cautions in social work's move toward EBP, 1 issue—the influenceof managed care and a market-driven economy on EBP in health and mentalhealth care—has received less discussion. The purpose of this article is todiscuss the parallel development of managed care and EBP, the possible influencesof managed care on EBP, and the difficult issues faced by social workersin acting in the best interest of clients in a managed-care environment.