Medical Practitioner’s experiential knowledge of the roles of Medical Social Workers at the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital, Tanzania

Abstract

Medical social work is focused on improving patient treatment results by analyzing the bio-psycho-social-spiritual components of medicine. However, medical practitioners in Tanzanian hospitals do not acknowledge medical social workers' functions in healthcare environments. This study, which investigates the roles of medical social workers in Tanzanian hospitals, has the potential to significantly impact the development of new task-sharing and health policies. Using mixed methods, 94 practitioners filled out questionnaires and interviewed 11 key informants. The study revealed that nearly three-quarters of the respondents, 66(70%) indicate that the role of hospital social workers is the mental health practitioner. More than half of the respondents that is 64(68%), indicate that hospital social workers provide patient and family counseling, 58(62%) indicate providing emotional support to patients and families, and 54(57%) indicate facilitating decision-making on behalf of patients and families. Five major themes were identified: connecting patients with members of the community, performing patients' financial analysis, maintaining the social welfare of patients and hospital staff, handling cases of abuse and violence, and diagnosing the psychosocial-spiritual problems of patients. These findings will enable groups of healthcare professionals to rationally reorganize medical social workers’ roles and improve patients’ treatment outcomes in Tanzania hospitals.