Utilizing Data to Improve Practice in Hospital Social Work:

Health care social work has made important progress in developing methods for assuring and improving the quality of services provided, using tools such as computerized information systems. This paper presents a case study demonstrating utilization of preliminary data generated by such a system, focusing on problem identification and professional interventions. Successive stages in the process of data application are described: definition of quality assurance issues; validation of data; hypothesis formation; in-depth analysis through case examples; and formation of change strategies. Results of the application and its implications for practice are discussed.