ABSTRACT
Research regarding social work services in health care has expanded greatly since the mid-1980s. New developments in every sector of the field continue to pose challenges for social workers. These new developments include specific diseases, discharge planning, groups, team-oriented practices, health reform, public policy, education, and home health care. Since 1986, the literature that addresses home health care practice has increased. In Ohio, medical social work prevails as the most rapidly growing home health care service. The Ohio Department of Health (1992) reported an increase of 68 percent, or fifty-four agencies that developed social work as a new service component. In 1991 alone social work services increased by 103 percent.
