Practical Guide for Social Workers in Working with Cancer Patients: A Mixed Study

Abstract

Background: The policy in the healthcare field emphasizes providing psychosocial support to patients, families, and caregivers. Methods: The present study performed a mixed-method approach to developing a protocol for oncology social workers' practice in Iran across 4 phases: Conducting a literature review, content analysis, focused group discussions, and evaluating the draft protocol using the AGREE method. Results: The structure of this guide consists of 5 main sections: Social work approach for specialized interventions, service providing challenges, principles of supportive and palliative care, standards of practice, and professional self-care. Conclusions: Using this protocol as a guide for oncology social workers can provide specialized, high-quality, and ethical services and provide better care for patients and caregivers.