O caso social em saúde: uma dimensão do Serviço Social em contexto hospitalar

Abstract

The ‘social case’ refers to ‘the person-in-situation’ and their state of health, integrating personal, social and environmental conditions into a holistic approach that considers both people and their networks of relationships, as well as their existential contexts. The social case’s construction requires a reflection about the institutional context and the performance of different members from the interdisciplinary team. The methodological strategy adopted falls within the perspective of qualitative research, using the case study as a fundamental procedure. The empirical work was conducted at Hospital de Santa Maria (Lisbon, Portugal), specifically across five specialty services. Inside each service, three professionals were interviewed: social worker, doctor and nurse. An observation period took place, during which the researcher followed the professional social workers’ daily lives. This allowed a better perception of each service’s vocabulary, professional practice and specificities.