The Value of Social Work to Health, Health Systems, and Interprofessional Teams: A Scoping Review

Social workers are an integral part of the U.S. healthcare system, yet specific contributions of social work to health and cost-containment outcomes is sparse. This scoping review describes and evaluates the state of the evidence on how social work interventions impact health and economic outcomes since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Three databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) were searched using the convention [“social work” OR “social services”] AND “health” AND [“cost” OR “utilization” OR “readmission”] for studies published between 2010 and 2022. Unique records were evaluated on inclusion criteria (U.S.-based, reported social work, and cost or health outcomes) using a five-phase scoping review process. Methodological quality was assessed using two validated metrics. Of 1,655 unique records retrieved, 40 (2.4%) met inclusion criteria. Full-text review yielded 15 studies. Most (75%) studies described transitional care interventions for older patients and high utilizers of health services, with the majority (75%) led by social workers. While health and cost outcomes were generally positive, overall methodological quality of the sample was low. Social work intervention can improve health and cost outcomes. More robust economic analyses that inform policy, practice, and health service delivery are needed.