Clinical social work in the care of Parkinson's disease: role, functions, and opportunities in integrated health care.

PARKINSON'S disease treatment; CHI-squared test; EXPERIMENTAL design; HEALTH care reform; HEALTH promotion; INTEGRATED health care delivery; INTERPROFESSIONAL relations; RESEARCH methodology; MENTAL health services; SOCIAL services; SOCIAL work research; SOCIAL workers; PROFESSIONAL practice; JUDGMENT sampling; OCCUPATIONAL roles; PROFESSIONAL identity; SOCIAL support; BURDEN of care; INTER-observer reliability; PATIENT-centered care; DATA analysis software; PATIENT Protection & Affordable Care Act; MANN Whitney U Test

Healthcare reform, including the focus on chronic illness, the growing role of neuroscience, the emphasis on collaborative interprofessional care, and more recently, on integrated medical and behavioral healthcare, have important implications for social work education and practice. Parkinson's disease, a chronic neurodegenerative illness exemplifying these trends, is an area in which social workers are increasingly involved. This paper provides (1) an overview of Parkinson's disease and its complexity, (2) a summary of role and functions identified in a survey of health social workers working with Parkinson's disease and/or neurology, and (3) education and practice recommendations for the social work profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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