Oncology Social Work Competencies, Opportunities, Roles, and Expertise (CORE): Results from a Role Delineation Study

Objective: Oncology social workers (OSWs) deliver services that address social determinants of health affecting cancer patients and families. Yet, a clear delineation of activities that define an OSW role is needed, particularly given recommendations for practice standardization to expand reimbursement for social work services in health care settings. This study is an effort to delineate the OSW role in cancer care. Method: This is a cross-sectional cohort investigation, with data derived from a nationwide survey of OSWs. Through an online survey, respondents indicated the relevance of 91 tasks related to their practice. We used exploratory factor analysis to compute a theoretically interpretable factor structure by which to organize relevant practice behaviors. Results: Responses from 713 OSWs yielded a 9-factor solution consisting of 49 tasks. The first three factors represented fundamental social work competencies, including assessment and provision of emotional support, therapeutic intervention, and care coordination/access. Additional factors reflected activities related to patient, community and professional education, equity and justice, distress screening and compliance, family-centered care, treatment decision-making, and care for vulnerable populations. Conclusion: The findings provide a framework for distinguishing core practice behaviors, informing professional education and advocacy efforts, and expanding reimbursement for OSW services.