Five Key Terms Every Hospital Social Worker Should Know

Important Terms for Healthcare Social Workers

Triage
Case Management
Efficacy
Intensive Care
Acute Care

Hospital social workers need a strong understanding of medical terms and healthcare terminology before they begin working in the field. All types of hospitals hire workers who can help patients understand the care they need and provide assistance for those who need extra help. Social workers may arrange for patients to get resources at home or to move into a long-term care facility. To work in hospitals, they need to know what some terms mean.

Triage

One of the more basic terms that social workers must understand is triage. This refers to the ways in which doctors and nurses both determine the reason(s) why a patient visited the hospital and the type of treatments they need. The term can also refer to a specific area of the hospital, which is usually in the emergency room. Some hospitals refer to the ER as the emergency department. Social workers will often need to visit the area to speak with patients before they go home or move to a different room.

Case Management

Case management might be the most important hospital social worker term. It refers to the management of each individual case, which represents a patient in the hospital. Some patients visit the emergency room and learn that they have serious conditions that require long-term care. Social workers create case reports for each patient that includes everything they need such as an overnight stay in the hospital and a follow-up appointment with a doctor. Those working in healthcare settings can also include details about resources that patients need in those reports, including visits from a home nurse or a wheelchair rental.

Efficacy

Doctors use the term efficacy when describing the effects that medication has on a patient. It essentially refers to how well the medication works. Efficacy can also refer to any other treatments ordered. If a patient breaks his or her arm, the break may require surgery or a cast. A patient diagnosed with pneumonia may need to use an inhaler at home and take an antibiotic. Social workers use this term when working with patients who require long-term care to talk about how effective their treatments are.

Intensive Care

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 160,000 social workers work in hospitals. The BLS also found that they make a median salary of more than $56,000 a year. Hospital social workers must know what healthcare terms such as intensive care means. Intensive care units are areas of the hospital set aside for patients who need 24/7 care. This can include patients recovering from a heart attack or stroke and those in a coma who may move to another facility later. Social workers will often help the loved ones of those patients understand what the diagnosis means and what they can do to help.

Acute Care

Healthcare social workers will also need to work with patients seeking acute care. Acute care is a term that medical professionals use when describing patients who need short-term or limited care. This can include those who come in due to an allergic reaction and those who suffer minor strains and sprains. It often refers to patients who receive treatment on the spot and then go home. They do not require any aftercare or long-term care. Social workers may offer assistance in the form of documents that help patients without health insurance sign up for a payment plan or a reduced payment option. They can also provide patients with resources on finding and getting insurance.

Social workers can find jobs in government agencies and nonprofit organizations as well as in healthcare facilities. Many hospitals across the country need these workers. Hospital social workers should know the definitions behind five terms that include acute and intensive care, triage, efficacy and case management.