Exploration of interprofessional collaboration and translation model in medical social work
10.12026/j.issn.1001-8565.2026.10.13
- VernacularTitle:医务社会工作的跨专业协作与转译模式探讨
- Author:
Wei LU
1
;
Limei LIN
1
;
Shiyao CHEN
1
;
Fei XU
2
;
Rongjian YU
2
Author Information
1. School of Sociology and Anthropology， Xiamen University， Xiamen 361005， China
2. Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital， Southern Medical University/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences， Guangzhou 510080， China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
medical social work;
interprofessional collaboration;
translation;
peritoneal dialysis
- From:
Chinese Medical Ethics
2026;39(10):1374-1384
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
As the medical model shifts toward the “bio-psycho-social” paradigm， interprofessional collaboration has become a significant trend in the medical field. Medical social work， as a key role in interprofessional teams， still faces challenges related to localization， professionalization， and specialization in its practice within hospital settings. From the perspective of “translation，” which serves as a critical step in actor-network theory， this study explored the behavioral logic and interest interactions among actors in interprofessional collaboration， and analyzed and summarized effective service models of interprofessional collaboration to address service dilemmas， with a particular focus on the role of medical social workers. Based on the current status of peritoneal dialysis patient services at Hospital Z， this study selected various subjects of interprofessional collaboration as the research participants. A total of 19 network actors were interviewed using purposive random sampling and snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation were employed as research methods， with a particular focus on observing the operational process of interaction and translation mechanisms among interprofessional collaboration subjects. Thematic analysis was conducted， with coding performed using NVivo 14 software. From the translation perspective， the study analyzed the collaboration model of the interprofessional team in the treatment and rehabilitation process of peritoneal dialysis patients， highlighting the special role of medical social workers therein. The implementation of the collaborative model often encountered challenges related to professional boundaries， power boundaries， and institutional boundaries， which affected the translation process across the entire trajectory. Discussions were further conducted on dimensions such as optimizing the flow mechanisms of power and discourse， as well as forming supportive policies and formalized collaborative mechanisms.
