FROM THE THIRD GENEVA CONFERENCE ON PERSON-CENTERED MEDICINE: THE TEAM APPROACH IN PERSON-CENTERED HEALTH CARE The Team Approach in Person-centred Health Care: The Social Work Perspective

Social workers bring to the multidisciplinary team skills in direct relationship work, experience of group work and an awareness of wider social factors affecting the patient. They have a particular role in working with relatives and carers to establish a network of support which is critical after discharge from hospital. If the traditional ambivalence of social work towards medicine and the medical model can be overcome social workers can improve the overall effectiveness of team functioning