Trends in Social Work. Nephrology social work meets integrated care: A partnership for the road ahead.

Integrated care has brought changes to the field of nephrology social work. In turn, nephrology social work has brought innovative contributions to the field of integrated care. The new social work service delivery systems described in this article are sure to help the industry reach its goals to keep care patient-centered while maintaining quality and reducing the costs of treating end stage renal disease. Social workers are called to serve the needs of the client, the family, the community and the society at large. Nephrology social workers are right where they belong in the ESRD integrated care environment. They feel right at home.