Advancing Rigorous Inquiry In Health Social Work Practice

As healthcare systems face increasing pressures to deliver equitable, efficient, and cost-effective care, social work practice in healthcare settings is more critical than ever. However, there remains a significant gap in evaluating the empirical impact of health social work practice. Recent systematic and scoping reviews highlight the dearth of research on the outcomes associated with health social work practice and, among the studies that do exist, the methodological rigor is frequently rated as “poor.” To fully realize the SSWR 2027 theme, “Social Work Research at the Service of Democracy: Advancing Rigorous Inquiry for the Common Good,” researchers must elevate the methodological rigor used to evaluate health social work practice, ensuring that our contributions to health outcomes, health equity, and system efficiency are systematically recognized.

This roundtable will convene early-, mid-, and established-career researchers to address the methodological challenges in health social work research and collaboratively generate innovative, applied research strategies. The discussion will be guided by three primary topics and viewpoints:

1. Increasing Methodological Rigor: Participants will discuss the barriers to experimental and quasi-experimental designs in healthcare settings and brainstorm practical solutions. The limitations of systematic and scoping review criteria will also be critically analyzed. This discussion will also consider how qualitative rigor extends beyond design to include sustained, iterative engagement with data. Drawing on studies from a single dataset, this contribution highlights how distinct analyses can generate multiple rigorous outputs and inform the development of large-scale survey research through construct refinement and measurement design. Finally, the leveraging of technology, digital devices, and artificial intelligence (AI) across methodological approaches will also be discussed.
2. Developing a Multilevel Research Taxonomy: A core objective of this roundtable is to begin conceptualizing a standardized research taxonomy for studying social work impact across micro- (patient outcomes, care management), mezzo- (interdisciplinary team dynamics, unit efficiency), and macro- (population and community health) levels. Discussants will explore how standardizing terminology and outcomes can facilitate multi-site studies, meta-analyses, and practice-based research networks that foster more effective collaborations for evaluating health social work practice.
3. Evaluating Cost-Benefit and Financial Impacts: Operating on the hypothesis that professional social workers increase healthcare system efficiency, save health service organizations funds, and increase third-party billing opportunities, discussants will explore frameworks for capturing the financial return on investment (ROI) of integrated social work services within healthcare systems.

By grounding these discussions in the need for rigorous, applied research, this roundtable will foster a collaborative network of scholars. Ultimately, the ideas generated will inform future high-impact studies, shaping rigor within health social work science that centers equity, dignity, and the common good within our healthcare infrastructure.