Social Work Interventions In Palliative Care: A Scoping Review of Roles, Functions, and Evidence

Background and Purpose. Social workers are established members of palliative care teams, yet the evidence for their interventions has not been systematically examined. As palliative care has expanded across settings and populations, social work research in this area has also grown. However, the literature has not been synthesized to clearly define social work’s contributions, identify areas of strength, or highlight gaps. This scoping review aimed to characterize the scope and outcomes of evaluated social work interventions in palliative care, describe social work roles and functions, and assess the current evidence.

Methods. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we conducted a systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, SocINDEX, and EMBASE for studies published between 2010 and 2025. Eligible studies evaluated interventions delivered by social workers or included functions characteristic of social work practice in palliative care. Data were extracted using standardized forms covering study design, population, roles and functions, intervention type, and outcomes. Social work functions were coded into five domains: psychosocial intervention, advance care planning, assessment, care coordination, and education and advocacy.

Results. Forty-six studies (approximately 9,100 participants) across 10 countries met inclusion criteria; 32 (70%) were conducted in the United States. Study designs included randomized controlled trials (n = 16, 35%), quality improvement studies (n = 8, 17%), and pilot or feasibility studies (n = 8, 17%). Social workers served as primary interventionists in 8 studies (17%) and as members of interdisciplinary teams in 36 (78%).

Three patterns emerged. First, psychosocial intervention and advance care planning were the most consistently described functions, but their evidence differed. Psychosocial interventions were linked to a wider range of outcomes, including significant caregiver improvements in two RCTs and largely positive or mixed effects on distress, mood, and anxiety. Advance care planning was the most frequently identified domain (23 studies, 50%), but its evidence was more limited; only two RCTs reported positive effects, while most studies used pre–post or quality improvement designs without comparison groups. Second, care coordination showed positive findings across provider types, including studies led by social workers, team-based models, and those delivered by non–social work providers, suggesting these effects are not specific to social work. Third, in team-based studies, social work contributions were described at the role level rather than the task level, making it difficult to determine what social workers specifically delivered and limiting conclusions about their unique effects.

Conclusions and Implications. Social work in palliative care has a growing but uneven evidence base. Psychosocial interventions show the most consistent effects when social work contributions are clearly defined. Advance care planning is widely represented but supported by limited evidence. Care coordination is associated with improved outcomes across provider types. Most studies do not isolate social work contributions within teams. Future research should document task-level functions and expand the use of randomized controlled designs.