Medical social work in hospital settings in China: Practice, resource dependence, and the constraints to development

Abstract This article explores the roles of medical social work (MSW) in Chinese hospitals and analyses its development, which is still at an early stage and is often constrained by various factors, through the lens of resource dependence theory. Based on a qualitative study in Beijing, the article identifies that the main roles of MSW in China currently include hospital management, transmission of medical security resources, and connecting patients with medical assistance resources, and explains that MSW’s struggle for professional legitimacy and its dependence on external resources are exacerbated by China’s unique institutional factors. The findings reveal a tension in that securing external funding often comes at the cost of professional autonomy, trapping medical social workers (MSWs) in administrative roles. The study proposes concrete strategies for mitigating this marginalization, including the formal integration of MSWs into hospital governance committees and the development of mandatory interprofessional collaboration protocols. This article analyses the need for MSW in hospitals to fully utilize existing conditions in order to develop further, while striving to enhance its internal control over resources.