In primary care settings, social workers are increasingly helping to deliver care as part of integrated teams of professionals. However, little is known about the functions of these interprofessional teams that include social workers and the value that social workers bring to those teams. This article describes a systematic review of randomized controlled trials to…
Musculoskeletal conditions are incredibly common, affecting more than half of adults in the United States. Physical therapy (PT) is recommended as an essential component in the treatment of these conditions. However, many primary care physicians (PCPs), who are the first point of contact for those patients seeking treatment for musculoskeletal conditions, are often encouraged to…
Social workers are now doing more of their work in integrated health settings that require them to perform a variety of different roles and skills. As these settings are often more complex, the roles that social workers perform in them is not well understood. This article describes a study which utilized an online survey of…
The expansion of access to treatment and preventative services has led to an increase in interprofessional healthcare teams. Integrating social workers onto these teams requires that all members of the team understand what roles and functions social workers can bring to the table. This article describes a case of a social worker on an interprofessional…
Many Medicare recipients who are discharged from the hospital after suffering from a stroke are readmitted. Some patients who have suffered a stroke and are discharged from the hospital receive occupational or physical therapy in the home or some other outpatient setting. This article describes a cohort analysis of Medicare claims from 2010 to 2013…
North Carolina is in need of a more diverse registered nurse workforce. Licensed practical nurses making a transition to registered nurses may provide a solution, but little is known about this transition process. This article describes a cohort analysis of licensed practical nurses from 2001 to 2013 to compare key characteristics of those who did…
A 2015 Institute of Medicine report indicated that there is much work needed to both build educational capacity and increase diversity in the registered nurse (RN) workforce. There are also reports suggesting that approximately 33% of RNs will exit the workforce by 2022, as baby boomer nurses retire. Approximately 730,000 licensed practical nurses (LPNs) are…
Social workers are flexible employees with a wide variety of skills that can be adapted to fit complex and highly integrated healthcare settings. Many integrated health teams have benefited from the involvement of social workers, but little research has been conducted that examines the roles that social workers perform in these settings. This brief describes…
While federal graduate medical education (GME) reform efforts have stalled, states have become increasingly active in determining ways to target Medicaid and state appropriations toward producing the workforce needed to meet population health needs. However, states have voiced the need for better data to determine where to target these funds and evaluate their return on…
New healthcare delivery and payment models demand that primary care physicians (PCPs) deliver coordinated, integrated, team-based care to promote population health. Physical therapists (PTs) are part of this team-based care for the treatment of musculoskeletal, neurological, and other conditions seen in primary care. Limited evidence exists on the extent to which PCPs engage PTs in patient…
