Care coordination in pediatric health care settings: the critical role of social work.

: Care coordination (CC) is integral to improving health care quality. Research on CC by health care social workers (HSWs) in pediatric health care settings is limited. This paper aims to operationalize and quantify CC functions fulfilled by HSWs in one large urban pediatric hospital.

Social workers as care coordinators: Leaders in ensuring effective, compassionate care.

The concept of care coordination is at the forefront of national conversations in the context of health care reform. As pediatric social workers, we are interested in how care coordination benefits our patients, and which disciplines are providing coordination services. We have determined that significant overlap exists between the work social workers are already doing in inpatient and outpatient medical settings and the literature's definition of care coordination activities.