Social Work Assessment and Outcomes Measurement in Hospice and Palliative Care

While psychosocial assessment is required in hospice, no requirement exists for documentation of psychosocial outcomes. Social work research has identified the psychosocial and spiritual domains most often and appropriate for social workers to address, and standardized assessment tools have been developed by social workers based on this research. The aims of this study were to document the current use of standardized assessment measures for assessment and documenting outcomes and specifically the use of the Social Work Assessment Tool. A national sample of 203 hospice and palliative care social workers was recruited for this mixed methods study. Results indicated that most social workers used a form developed by a nonsocial worker in the agency for the initial assessment, and many palliative care social workers were not responsible for the assessment. Fewer conducted a follow-up assessment or documented outcomes. No common standardized measure was used. This study confirmed anecdotal evidence about lack of standardized social work assessment and outcomes measurement occurring in hospice and palliative care. As the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is likely to select a standardized tool to measure psychosocial outcomes, social workers have an opportunity to contribute a quantitatively driven outcomes measure, developed by social workers, that will demonstrate effectiveness of social work intervention and lead to a better understanding of the social work role in hospice and palliative care.