Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to compile practical guidelines to assist medical practitioners in
utilizing social work services in their practices. Exploratory, descriptive and applied
research was done to determine and describe medical practitioners' knowledge of
psychosocial problems and their present and potential utilization of social work services.
Results were generalized in respect of the population as a whole.
In the theoretical study social functioning was conceptualized by the description of
micro, mezzo and macro levels of functioning. The approach towards rendering of
services (in the Medical field) and intervention (in the Social Work field) was described,
followed by recommendations for the eclectical utilization of the approaches.
The eclectical application of the intervention approaches requires that social workers
should have certain knowledge, values and skills to interpret certain roles. This occurs
within certain social work areas, with the achievement of the aims and functions of Social
Work as goal. The ethical and value basis of Social Work and Medical Science shows
certain similarities and disparities. The values of Social Work, as contained in the
Behavioural- and Ethical Code for Social Work and the Oath of Hippocrates, in Medical
Science, are described in this study.
In the empirical study qualitative and quantitative information was gathered, inter alia,
about the existence of psychosocial problems of patients in medical practitioners'
practices, how medical practitioners handled them, how well equipped they were to do it,
their present and potential utilization of Social Work services, the role of third parties in
the rendering of services and referral procedures. Thirty nine (39) medical practitioners,
selected by random sampling procedure, were involved in the study and completed selfadministered
questionnaires.
The majority respondents indicated that their undergraduate training was inadequate in
enabling them to handle psychosocial problems of patients. The entire spectrum of
psychosocial problems existed in all the respondents' practices. The majority of
respondents handled such problems themselves, while specialists, psychologists and
psychiatrists were at times used as resources. The majority of respondents indicated that
they could perhaps utilize Social Work services and that there is a great need for such a
resource. Most medical practitioners preferred to send written referrals via patients, with
the responsibility being with the patient for making an appointment with the social
worker. Minimal use was made of third parties in the patients' frame of reference in the
assessment and treatment of patients.
Third parties, within the reference framework of patients, were used minimally by
medical practitioners in the making of assessments and the rendering of services.
Respondents had divergent opinions regarding their competence in the psychosocial field
of service rendering. The majority of respondents indicated the need for training
programs focusing on the handling of patients' psychosocial problems. Limited time for
attending such training programs was however mentioned as the biggest obstacle. These
findings of the empirical study, together with the theoretical framework, were used as a
guideline for the composition of a practical guideline for the referral of services to social
workers in private practice. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doelstelling van hierdie studie was om praktykriglynne te ontwikkel, waarvolgens
geneeshere in privaat praktyk maatskaplike werkers as ondersteuningshulpbron kan
benut. Verkennende, beskrywende en toegepaste navorsing is gedoen, ten einde
geneeshere se kennis van psigososiale probleme en hul huidige en potensiele benutting
van maatskaplikewerkdienste te bepaal en te beskryf. Bevindinge is ten opsigte van die
populasie as geheel veralgemeen.
In die teoretiese studie is maatskaplike funksionering deur die beskrywing van mikro-,
meso- en makrovlakfunksionering, gekonseptualiseer. Die benaderings tot dienslewering
(in Geneeskunde) en intervensie (in Maatskaplike Werk) is beskryf. Daarna is 'n
aanbeveling vir die eklektiese benutting van die benaderings gedoen.
Die eklektiese benutting van die intervensiebenaderings vereis dat maatskaplike werkers
oor sekere kennis, waardes en vaardighede moet beskik en sekere rolle moet vertolk. Dit
geskied binne sekere maatskaplikewerkvelde en het as mikpunt die verwesenliking van
die doelstellings en funksies van Maatskaplike Werk. Die etiese en waardegrondslag van
Maatskaplike Werk en Geneeskunde toon sekere ooreenkomste en verskille. Die waardes
van Maatskaplike Werk, soos vervat in die Gedrags- en Etiese Kodes vir Maatskaplike
Werk, en van Geneeskunde, soos vervat in die Eed van Hippocrates, word in hierdie
studie bespreek.
In die empiriese studie is kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe inligting ingesamel oor, onder
andere, die voorkoms van psigososiale probleme by pasiente in geneeshere se praktyke,
geneeshere se hantering daarvan, hul bekwaamheid om sodanige probleme te hanteer,
hul huidige en potensiele benutting van maatskaplikewerkdienste, die rol van derde
partye by dienslewering en verwysingsprosedures. Nege-en-dertig (39) geneeshere,
geselekteer deur ewekansige steekproeftrekking, is by die ondersoek betrek en het self
die vraelyste ingevul.
Die meeste geneeshere het aangedui dat hul voorgraadse opleiding hulle nie voldoende
toegerus het om psigososiale probleme by pasiente te hanteer nie. Die hele spektrum van
psigososiale probleme het in respondente se praktyke voorgekom. Die meeste
respondente het sodanige probleme self hanteer, terwyl spesialiste, sielkundiges en
psigiaters soms as hulpbronne benut is. Die meeste respondente het aangetoon dat hulle
moontlik van maatskaplike werkers gebruik kan maak en dat daar 'n groot behoefte aan
sodanige hulpbron bestaan. Die verwysingsprosedure wat deur die meeste geneeshere
verkies is, was die stuur van skriftelike verwysings saam met pasiente.
Derde partye, in pasiente se verwysingsraamwerk, is minimaal deur geneeshere by
assessering en dienslewering betrek. Geneeshere het uiteenlopende menings gehad oor
hul bevoegdhede in die psigososiale veld van dienslewering. Die behoefte aan
opleidingsprogramme, wat fokus op die hantering van psigososiale probleme by pasiente,
is deur die meeste respondente aangedui. Beperkte tyd is egter as die grootste struikelblok
vir die bywoning van sodanige opleidingsessies aangevoer. Hierdie bevindinge van die
empiriese studie, saam met die teoretiese raamwerk, is as riglyn benut vir die
ontwikkeling van 'n praktykriglyn vir verwysing van dienste na maatskaplike werkers in
privaat praktyk.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52213 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Vogt, Tertia |
| Contributors | Cronje, J. I., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 126 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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