Ch. 3 Reflection

Social workers in primary care may be found in a few different settings. Hospitals, outpatient clinics, HMOs, neighborhood health center clinics, and group medical practices are a few examples. "Primary care is the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community (Fort Cowles, p. 92). There are five characteristics of primary care: 1. Professions that provide primary medical care such as family practice, pediatrics, nurse practitioner, etc, 2. The setting of primary medical care practice, including individual and group practices of any of the previous professions, outpatient clinics located in hospitals, etc, 3. The field of public health, 4. Primary prevention, that is, efforts to prevent the occurrence of health problems, 5. Health promotion programs. These characteristics include a few of the fields and main idea of the work force for primary medical care. The interaction of physical, mental, emotional, and social functioning of a person are recognized by primary health care as well.

                Primary health care was adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO), for the foundation for the most effective delivery of health care services. It is a philosophy guiding health policy that is population alert, an approach for organizing health services that are incorporated and needs based, a stage of care/invention which is delivered by a team, a set of actions which include health promotion, avoidance, early intervention, treatment, and follow-up. Social work is a very assorted profession. They work in health and social settings which are included in a primary care atmosphere. They work with the families, patients/clients, and the community. In the primary health care setting a social worker can be play an abundant of roles, but a few include; advocate, advisory, facilitator, planner, etc. A social worker is very active in a primary health care setting and help out a lot throughout situations.

Resources:

Fort Cowles, L. A. (2003). Social Work in the Health Field: A Care Perspective ( 2nd Ed.) Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press.

Social Work and Primary Health Care. http://www.casw-acts.ca/en/social-work-primary-health-care