Social work and medicine: shared interests

THE RELATIONSHIPS between so cial workers and physicians have always been ambivalent, although social workers have sought to improve their pro fessional status by emulating physicians.1 They still criticize the medical model and object to the status and authority of physi cians, and, according to Kane, use large amounts of energy to assert the legitimacy and importance of their role in health care.2 Physicians have long espoused the importance of social factors in the preven tion and treatment of disease, but for the most part, they have not welcomed social workers as major allies. Changes within social work and medicine, however, may point toward an increasing collaboration between the professions. Citing recent developments in health care, the present authors argue that social workers and phy sicians have much to gain by emphasiz ing their mutual concerns and comple mentary roles.