Social Work Services for Children at Vietnam’s Hospitals: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Studies on social work services provided to children at hospitals remain limited. This study reports the status of social work service provision for children at several hospitals in Vietnam and identifies any influencing factors. This study involved thirty in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions. Most of the hospitals in this study provided the following social work services: support and consultation services for social work-related problems for children, health education and communication services, resource mobilization and coordination services, and health worker support services. The study found factors that hinder the provision of social work services for children at Vietnam’s hospitals. Moreover, central and provincial hospitals deployed better social work services for children than district hospitals, with more favorable factors at central and provincial hospitals. Pediatric specialty hospitals provided better social work services for children than general hospitals, with more favorable factors at pediatric specialty hospitals. The findings are a useful reference for policy makers, researchers, and policy makers worldwide. Future studies should pay more attention to differences in hospital levels and types of hospitals in providing social work services to children from the findings.