Empowering the team: A social work model of interprofessional collaboration in hospitals

Abstract Healthcare is increasingly delivered through interprofessional collaborations (IPC). The social work perspective of IPC is important to understand, as the profession has contributed to other interprofessional models, yet less is known about social workers’ actions within interprofessional teams. Using a grounded theory approach, this study examines the functioning of interprofessional teams through seven focus groups with social workers (n = 46) at six urban hospitals. Specifically, this study identifies the particular contributions of social work to collaborative healthcare teams and proposes a model of social work in interprofessional teams. The key finding was that social workers are Empowering Collaboration by Actively Communicating (building relationships, holding information, and filling gaps), Proactively Educating (training the team, advocating for patients, and teaching about systems) and Managing Risk (troubleshooting discharge and avoiding liability). Implications for research and practice with interprofessional teams are provided.