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The demographics of the United States haemophilia treatment centre social workers: the results of a national survey
Author(s) -
Geary M. K.,
McGeady L.,
Dunn L.,
Pennick L.,
Johnson M.,
Stolfi A.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
haemophilia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.213
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1365-2516
pISSN - 1351-8216
DOI - 10.1111/hae.12354
Subject(s) - demographics , haemophilia , medicine , family medicine , multidisciplinary approach , gerontology , demography , pediatrics , social science , sociology
Summary Social Workers ( SW s) are vital members of the multidisciplinary health care teams at Hemophilia Treatment Centers ( HTC s) across the US . However, little research has been done to identify the demographics and qualifications of HTC SW s. In response to this lack of data, a subcommittee from the Social Work Working Group sponsored by the National Hemophilia Foundation conducted a national online survey in 2010. The authors attempted to ascertain the demographics and characteristics of SW s who work at HTC s across the country. The purpose of this article is to report the results of this online survey and evaluate the parameters of SW demographics in HTC s. Electronic surveys were sent to 143 HTC SW s. Ten were excluded and 100 were completed and returned, yielding a 75% response rate. The great majority of HTC SW s are women and almost half are middle‐aged (aged 40–59). They represent a highly educated, very experienced group of professionals. When asked why respondents stayed in their positions at the HTC s, answers appeared to highly correlate to factors related to the HTC multidisciplinary team model. The high survey response rate of 75% reflects the interest of HTC SW s in obtaining data that describe and quantify their qualifications. This information may serve as validation of the haemophilia SW role in times of funding cuts. It may also give a basis for the recruitment and retention of SW s in the haemophilia field.