SCIRehab Project Series: The Social Work/Case Management Taxonomy

J Spinal Cord Med, 2009 · DOI: · Published: June 1, 2009

Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Social Support

Simple Explanation

Social work and case management (SW/CM) are essential for people with spinal cord injuries (SCI), helping them adjust and access resources. During rehab, SW/CM assists with financial planning, discharge arrangements, and connecting patients with support networks. A standard way to classify SW/CM interventions is needed to improve research and show how these services improve outcomes for SCI patients.

Study Duration

2.5 years

Participants

1,500 patients with traumatic SCI

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
The taxonomy includes 8 major activity topics: financial planning, discharge planning, discharge services, supportive counseling, information about and referral to peer/advocacy groups, education about SCI and other relevant topics, information about and referral to community/in-house services, and team conferences.
2
The taxonomy considers interactions with the patient, family, or other team members and resources, along with descriptions of the interactions that are applicable to each of the 8 activity topics.
3
The goal of the taxonomy is to facilitate research on SW/CM interventions and their impact on rehabilitation outcomes for SCI patients.

Research Summary

Social work and case management (SW/CM) are integral components of acute inpatient spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. The resulting taxonomy includes 8 major activity topics (financial planning, discharge planning, discharge services, supportive counseling, information about and referral to peer/advocacy groups, education about SCI and other relevant topics, information about and referral to community/in-house services, and team conferences), which were further stratified into specific content areas. An intervention taxonomy is required to study the SW/CM interventions and the potential association with positive rehabilitation outcomes for patients with SCI.

Practical Implications

Standardized Research

The taxonomy provides a foundation for standardized research on SW/CM interventions in SCI rehabilitation.

Improved Practice

Understanding the impact of specific SW/CM activities can lead to more effective and targeted interventions.

Enhanced Patient Outcomes

By identifying effective SW/CM interventions, patient outcomes in SCI rehabilitation can be improved.

Study Limitations

1
Significant diversity in how utilization review (UR) tasks are employed at each center limited the inclusion of UR in the SCIRehab documentation.
2
The SW/CM taxonomy lists specific tasks under headings that are common to most SCIRehab facilities. However, nomenclature differs among facilities, and thus, clinicians at each center needed to become familiar with the terms used in SW/CM documentation.
3
Centers that include patients/families in team conferences regularly may show a larger amount of time spent in conferences.

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