Holliman D C
School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487, USA.
J Health Soc Policy. 1997;8(3):17-26. doi: 10.1300/J045v08n03_02.
Since the early 1980s cost containment policies have changed the practice of hospital social work. Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs), a cost containment mechanism, have increased the caseloads of hospital social workers, and placed a greater emphasis on discharge planning. In this article DRGs are described, and their function is discussed from a social work perspective. The literature surrounding DRGs and the role of the hospital social worker is addressed. Recommendations are made for social workers to evaluate the policies affecting their practice. It is proposed that if social workers understand policies, their origins, and how policies affect practice, then they can have greater influence as advocates and policy makers.
自20世纪80年代初以来，成本控制政策改变了医院社会工作的实践。诊断相关分组（DRGs）作为一种成本控制机制，增加了医院社会工作者的工作量，并更加重视出院计划。本文描述了DRGs，并从社会工作的角度讨论了其功能。探讨了围绕DRGs及医院社会工作者角色的文献。针对社会工作者评估影响其实践的政策提出了建议。有人提出，如果社会工作者了解政策、政策的起源以及政策如何影响实践，那么他们作为倡导者和政策制定者就能发挥更大的影响力。
