Integrating social work into general practice in Australia: protocol of an intervention study

Purpose This study protocol provides an overview of research aimed to evidence social work contributions to general practitioner (GP) clinics and evaluating the value of social workers and students in such settings. The research will facilitate and evaluate 12 months service delivery by social workers and students who will be employed in North Queensland GP clinics. Design/methodology/approach The study will be conducted in three phases. The first phase will involve developing partnerships and contractual arrangements to co-fund social workers to be employed in GP clinics. In the second phase, social workers and social work students will be practicing in GP settings and systematically recording basic demographics about their patients, areas of health and interventions. This data will be collated and correlated. Patient feedback surveys and a pre- and post-well-being scale will be applied to evaluate the outcomes of interventions. In the final phase, feedback about the value and contribution of social work in a GP setting will be sought from key GP practice stakeholders via an online survey tool to evaluate the research. Findings Further data is needed to evidence the contribution and outcomes of social work practice in Australia and elsewhere. It is important that social work and GPs work together to evidence and evaluate the outcomes and contribution of social work to develop sustainable funding pathways for embedding social work in GP clinics. Originality/value This is an innovative study design that will use various data sources to identify, quantify and evaluate the contribution of social work in general practice. It allows for stakeholders feedback that can contribute to policy review and the development of funding pathways to advance the inclusion of social work in integrated team care.