What is medical social work ?

Medical social work is concerned with helping who are those patients,who rae
unable to make to use of medical service effectively ,because of social or
psychological factors .there are patients, who do not make any progress inspite of
adequate medical service ,because illness satisfies their need to get attention
,love and care .Because of this ,some patients do not want to leave the hospital
even when their treatment is over.

In the case of other patients ,their worry about home and economic condition
often often ad versly affects the course of treatment .They may refuse to
undergo an operation or continue the treatment regularly because of fear or
ignorance .The problem of the maintenance of the family and care of the children
,during the period of illness ,prevents several patients from accepting
hospitalization and the treatment. Illness effects different individuals differently
depending upon their personality and social situation .In order to help such
patients, it is essential to understand their personality theis peculiar social
circumstances ,their feeling attitudes towards illness and its treatment. Illness
also creates problems in social relationships.Some patients are able to make
healthy adjustment to a changed physical and social condition.

There are others who need help .In helping patients the medical social worker
utilizes his relationship with them ,his knowledge about human behavior of
people when they are ill ,the resources within the individuals and their families
and the resources within the community .In other words ,the medical social
worker uses his case work knowledge and skill and the services of other agencies
in helping the patients.(S.L PATHAK MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK IN INDIA STUDIES IN
SOCIAL WORK PUBLICATION no_14 published by principal ,delhi school of social
work delhi 69forwarded by DR.herbert h aptekar)

The role of medical social worker in a blood bank:

 To increase awareness about blood donation .

 To reduce the fears and misconceptions about blood donation
  To increase the number and the quality of blood donors and improve blood
collection facilities.
 To make blood available for patients through motivation of relative donors.
 Compilation of records and reports.(Mrs Karen pinto590

The role of medical social worker in the department of preventive and social
medicine.

 Medical social worker helps patients to solve his personal and social
problems
 She observes ,the social economic and environmental conditions of the
patient in relationship to his illness and interprets them to the diagnosis
and treatment.
 Follow up and rehabilitation are important functionsof modern treatment
which the MSW can carry out greater successs.
 Contact with patients family and the community helps early detection of
cases among contacts and early action both preventive and curative .Is is
particularly applicable to infectious diseases like TB .,VD and other
infectious diseases and even in diseases like mental disorders,cancer
,diabetes,etc.
 The importance of psychosocial importance gathered from the patient or
relatives are presented by MSW to the medical officer.
 MSW , is a vital link with the community and plays an important role in the
health promotional clinics like underfive clinic ,ANC and PNC in the health
center.
 Health education important at all levels
 MSW also arranges for vocational guidance and vocational training
.organising income generating schemes to help needy in the community is
an important acitivity.
 She also play important role in school health services,population Education
and Aids awareness programmes both in school and out of school youth
programmes for creation of responsible parenthood.
 The MSW also takes active part in the teaching acitivities like lectures for
medical students,arranging visits to institutes of social and public health
importance institutes and also to families for family study .she also takes
part in medico social case presentations at students seminars.(dr P.S
Subramanian prof ,& Head of preventive & social medicine .Ex .Head of
ssd)(medical social work K.E.M Hospital and Sheth G.S.MEDICAL COLLLGE)
(81-820)