Document Type
Article
Abstract
This annotated bibliography brings together recent research on how the effectiveness of social work practice is measured in medical and health care settings. It examines outcomes linked to social work interventions, including hospital readmissions, length of stay, treatment engagement, equity of access, and team collaboration, as well as the tools and frameworks used to evaluate them. The collection is organized around five themes: social work interventions improve patient outcomes; social workers enhance interdisciplinary team effectiveness; structured assessment tools improve care planning; social workers promote equity and patient advocacy; and social work supports hospital efficiency and resource optimization. It helps students, practitioners, educators, and health system leaders use evidence to document social work's value, strengthen practice, and advocate for the profession's role on health care teams. This annotated bibliography was created for the UAB Social Work Partnership.
Publication Date
10-2026
Department
Social Work
College or School
College of Arts and Sciences
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
UAB Social Work Partnership; Turner, Lana MSW; and Hitchcock, Laurel Iverson PhD MPH LICSW-S, "Measuring the Effectiveness of Social Work Practice in Health Care Settings: An Annotated Bibliography" (2026). College of Arts & Sciences Professional Work. 3.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/pw-cas/3
