Experiences of China's Social Workers in Interprofessional Practice during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Purpose: Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, social workers have participated in fighting the virus in interprofessional teams. This exploratory study examined social workers' experiences in interprofessional practice during the early stage of combating COVID-19. Method: We used a purposive sampling strategy to recruit social workers. Ten semi-structured, in-depth interviews and thematic analyses were conducted. Results: Results indicate that social workers experienced ambiguous professional identities and role confusion in interprofessional teams; found communication to be key to interprofessional practice; and identified facilitators and barriers at the organizational level. Conclusion: The interprofessional practice in fighting COVID-19 has less mature or formal forms in China. Recommendations for promoting social workers' roles in interprofessional practice in China are discussed.