Medical Social Services in Accident and Emergency Departments of Hospitals in Hong Kong: Their Utilisation Patterns, Functions, and Outcomes

Medical social service units of six acute hospitals participated in this study to examine the utilisation patterns, functions, and outcomes of medical social services provided to patients visiting Accident and Emergency Departments (AEDs) in Hong Kong. The results showed that, contrary to the conventional view, patients most frequently referred included both those who were involved in crises and urgent cases, such as battered spouses and death on/before arrival, and those who could not be considered as being involved in crises and less urgent cases associated with financial problems, family conflicts, and home care/discharge problems. The findings also suggested that medical social workers rendered a great deal of counselling services to patients, particularly those in bereavement and marital conflicts. For patients with home care/discharge problems, referrals to community resources were more important than counselling. While the majority of patients were discharged from medical social services with follow-ups offered by medical social workers and social workers of community services, 13% of patients either lost contact or declined services from medical social workers. Recommendations for improving medical social services at AEDs are made.