Social Work Informatics: A New Specialty

Although the use of technology by social workers is not a new phenomenon, it is controversial. For a discipline traditionally tied to face-to-face interaction, many concerns about moving to technology-based practices have been raised. Advocates for the use of technology identify increased opportunity and access to social work services, lower costs, improved coordination of services, and privacy for stigmatized individuals as benefits of the tools (Chenoweth & Stehlik, 2002; Giffords, 1998; Smart, Russell, & Custodio, 1998). Critics, on the other hand, point to the technological difficulties that impede interaction. They cite inequalities in access to resources, confidentiality concerns, and depersonalization (Karger & Kreuger, 1988; Kreuger & Stretch, 2000; Menon & Miller-Cribbs, 2002; Schopler, Abell, & Galinsky, 1998; Stofle & Harrington, 2002). Believing technology distances workers from those whom they want to service, Ashery (2001) noted that social workers have thought of themselves as "people-persons" and have traditionally rejected technological interventions. Choi and colleagues (2002) found that although anxious about using computers, social worker anxiety varied by area of practice, availability of equipment, amount of use, and participation in training. They concluded that anxiety can be lowered through education and exposure (Choi et al.). A technological revolution is occurring, and it has become impossible to ignore the impact of new developments on the expectations of consumers, efficiencies, and the potential benefits of these tools (Meier, 2000). In an effort to meet these new challenges, we encourage social work to follow other human services professions and embrace the integration of informatics into the science of the profession. SOCIAL WORK, TECHNOLOGY, AND PRACTICE The National Association of Social Work (NASW) recently joined with the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) in an initiative that recognizes the invaluable role of technology in social work practice and education (Stoesen, 2004). The initiative developed much needed and long-advocated standards for the use of technology in social work practice (Menon & Miller-Cribbs, 2002; NASW, 2006). With the adoption of the Model Social Work Practice Act (ASWB, 1999), the ASWB recognized the growth of therapy over the Internet and articulated concerns with the practice. ASWB (2002) raised numerous questions related to this emerging practice "setting," including defining the location of services on the Internet and licensing jurisdiction for professionals. Collaboration of these two national organizations and agreement to focus on recognizing this as an area of practice is an important step in ensuring that legal, ethical, and practice issues are addressed to protect clients and workers. The increased presence of technology in all aspects of social work practice and education has been slow to develop but is now officially recognized. With this recognition comes a responsibility to ensure that these practices are used ethically, and that social workers everywhere have the skills necessary to manage the tools and to protect clients from misuse. Successfully combining the science and experience of a professional practice and the knowledge and skills of information technology (IT), the profession does not need to look far to find other disciplines that have similar initiatives. As computer and information sciences began to merge, the term informatics was defined 20 years ago (Gorn, 1983). INFORMATICS Informatics is a science that manages and processes data, transforming it into information to be put into a knowledge base to guide decisions (Young, 2000). The components of informatics are data, information, and knowledge. Each has a specific definition. Data are defined as variables that can be objectively described, information is data that are structured into some form, and knowledge is the interpretation of information within a logical framework that permits decision making (Young). …