Introduction

Throughout their professional history social workers in health care have experienced competition by other professionals for functions integral to the psychological components of patient care. When these occur, social workers may gear their efforts toward the maintenance of existing roles and thus have little time and energy for innovation. The positive side of this professional competition is the growing importance assigned to a biopsychosocial view of health and health care. In a climate of increased awareness of the social needs of patients, social workers have flourished in settings such as HMOs, primary care services, and federally funded and regulated programs such as renal dialysis. As new medical technologies proliferate and psychosocial consequences for patients ensue, social workers in health care have new opportunities.