Measuring Satisfaction with Social Work Services

For various reasons, the role of the medical social worker is often unclear to persons seeking medical treatment. Allied health professionals, such as nursing staff, tend to have a better understanding of the medical social worker's role and of whether services are being provided to best meet each patient's needs. We aimed to illustrate the abilities of nursing staff to provide patient satisfaction feedback to medical social workers in such areas as responsiveness to patient requests and the satisfaction of patients and their family members with the social services provided. Use of this satisfaction measurement technique will hopefully resolve any confusion that patients, and others not familiar with the role of the medical social worker, may have. This method provides accurate measurement of patients' evaluation of medical social work services.