The role of the social worker in the assessment and management of adults receiving Home Parenteral Nutrition

TL;DR

This paper explains how social workers contribute to managing adults needing home nutrition support by addressing non-medical factors.

Contribution

The paper outlines the social worker's unique role in assessing and managing home parenteral nutrition for intestinal failure patients.

Findings

Social workers assess medical, psychosocial, financial, legal, and quality-of-life domains for HPN patients.

Non-medical factors are critical for successful HPN management.

More research is needed to measure the impact of social workers in this care team.

Abstract

People diagnosed with Intestinal Failure (IF) requiring Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN) have complex medical and nutritional requirements. To date, assessment for, and ongoing management of, HPN has relied on medical, nursing and dietetic input. However, success in assessing suitability for HPN and ongoing management is often reliant on non-medical factors. This paper aims to outline the critical clinical role the social worker can play and their scope of practice in assessing and managing people requiring HPN. This includes assessment across medical, psychosocial, financial, legal, quality-of-life and healthcare-related domains. This perspective paper highlights the vast scope in which the social worker can support people diagnosed with IF requiring HPN. More research is required to quantify the value of the social worker as a key member of the multidisciplinary IF team.