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Published in: BMC Health Services Research 1/2021

Open Access 01-12-2021 | Care | Research

Social workers’ perspectives on a medical home model for children and adolescents in out of home care – an interview study

Authors: Nina Johansson, Karin Fängström, Georgina Warner

Published in: BMC Health Services Research | Issue 1/2021

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Abstract

Background

This study seeks to explore how social workers have perceived and experienced a medical home model for children and adolescents in out-of-home care in Uppsala County, Sweden.

Method

A qualitative explorative study was conducted, which involved ten semi-structured individual telephone interviews with social workers. The study sample included employees within the social service, working in a specialised case unit who had experience of referring children and/or adolescents to the medical home model called Hälsofam. Data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis.

Results

The findings of the current study indicated that working with Hälsofam has offered social workers a way into the health care sector and an active collaborative working situation, with focus on organised work across the ‘silos’ of care services. However, the findings raised the question of whether or not all children and adolescents have the same possibility to receive care from Hälsofam.

Conclusion

The findings indicated that the Hälsofam model had a positive impact on the interrelations between the social service and the health care sector. Yet, findings showed that personal views of the social worker and the societal situation in which they operate create limitations for providing care for every child and adolescent. This study adds to the extant literature for it addresses the limitations within the work of children and adolescents in out-of-home care.
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Metadata
Title
Social workers’ perspectives on a medical home model for children and adolescents in out of home care – an interview study
Authors
Nina Johansson
Karin Fängström
Georgina Warner
Publication date
01-12-2021
Publisher
BioMed Central
Keyword
Care
Published in
BMC Health Services Research / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06737-1

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