Utilizing data to improve practice in hospital social work: a case study.

Health care social work has made important progress in developing methods for assuring and improving the quality of services provided, using tools such as computerized information systems. This paper presents a case study demonstrating utilization of preliminary data generated by such a system, focusing on problem identification and professional interventions. Successive stages in the process of data application are described: definition of quality assurance issues; validation of data; hypothesis formation; in-depth analysis through case examples; and formation of change strategies. Results of the application and its implications for practice are discussed.