By Briana Joyce, LCSW, OSW-C

Over the last two years COVID-19 has upended nearly every aspect of our daily lives. One of the biggest changes is the explosion of the importance and prevalence of technology in the provision of oncology social work services. The need to practice social distancing has widened the conversation around electronically based care including the many benefits and ethical considerations. It also asks the intriguing question of how social workers can be best prepared to embrace new technology in the coming years.

Prior to the pandemic, the social work profession discussed the impacts of technology on the delivery of services. In 2017, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) in conjunction with the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA) released Standards for Technology of Social Work Practice. These standards highlight the many opportunities and ethical considerations for the provision of electronically based social work services. One of the most obvious benefits is increased access to care. As all social workers can probably attest, psychosocial stressors can greatly impact an individual’s ability to pursue oncology care. Some of the major barriers to care are geographic distance and disease burden. Patients and families often travel long distances at great financial, physical and emotional expense. The numerous online platforms have reduced these historic challenges and broadened the potential reach of social work services.

 As social workers begin to incorporate more technology into their work, it is important to remain mindful of potential ethical risks. The NASW Technology Standards include the possibility of technology failure, confidentiality concerns and the high cost of electronic devices needed to access services. The NASW Code of Ethics, recently revised in 2021, also mentions these considerations and the need to maintain “confidentiality, informed consent, professional boundaries” in all social work interventions. Another factor to consider is differing proficiency levels. Many patients and families are less comfortable in navigating an electronic world. Therefore, social workers have an ethical obligation to ensure these individuals have the resources and ability to engage in an electronically based intervention. Social workers also need to ensure they have the professional competence to utilize the technology. The transition of the social work skill set from an in-person intervention to one based online can be awkward and requires practice. Therefore, technological support and education are needed to bridge any gaps in user proficiency.

To further quote the NASWs Standards for Technology, “technology has transformed the nature of social work practice and greatly expanded the social workers’ ability to assist people in need.” COVID-19 pushed forward this transformation at a surprising pace. The possibilities are very exciting and removes historical barriers for optimized health outcomes. However, as our reach expands it is important to remain cognizant of our core social work ethical standards and keep patient well-being top of mind in the development and implementation of electronic platforms.

References

National Association of Social Workers, Association of Social Work Boards, Councils on Social Work    Education, Clinical Social Work Association. (2017). Standards for Technology in Social Work Practice. National Association of Social Workers. NASWCulturalStandards2003.Q4.11 (socialworkers.org)
 
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of Ethics. National Association of Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English