Abstract
Medical social workers (MedSWs) responded quickly to the call for virtual health care delivery driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study employed the social presence theory to investigate how technology impacted MedSW interactions during COVID-19. Qualitative thematic analysis on MedSW interviews (N = 54) revealed three themes: shifting social presence, adapting to virtual social work practice, and confronting equity and ethics. The findings suggest how technology-mediated practice contributed to feelings of professional dissonance from the discrepancy between MedSW professional values and the virtual delivery of job tasks. Education and research on virtual best MedSW practice is warranted to protect against professional dissonance.
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