The opinion of physicians about activities of professional social workers in organizations rendering palliative medical care

Abstract

The development of palliative medical care in Russia that according to the Federal Law of 06.03.2019 № 18-FZ "Introduction of amendments to the Federal Law "The basic principles of medical care in Russian Federation" in the matter of rendering palliative medical care" is assigned to social service institutions, requires optimizing mechanism of intersectoral cooperation, including cooperation between medical organizations of palliative care and social welfare institutions and also between medical personnel and experts of other specialization who participate in providing this kind of assistance, as well as professional social workers. The article presents findings of research, dedicated to evaluation of level of awareness that doctors in medical organizations of palliative care have on professional social work and also the role of professional social workers in rendering palliative medical care to patients of such organizations as well as their families. The respondents noticed multidimensionality of issues that patients of medical organizations of palliative care, as well as their families, come across. That is why they consider it necessary for psychologists, rehabilitation therapists, social workers as a part of in polyprofessional teams of specialists to take part in rendering this kind of care. The ability to provide complex medical social care to patients and their families; enjoyment of the rights to social welfare and support, skills of practical application of social work methods, organizing patients' care, interaction with social and other kinds of services, realizing complex of activities in within the framework of psychological pedagogical and social directions of rehabilitation and habilitation of patients are considered as the most important issues of performance of social work specialists in medical organizations of palliative medical care.