{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,26]],"date-time":"2026-06-26T13:46:55Z","timestamp":1782481615828,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]],"date-time":"2026-06-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782172800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Am J Hosp Palliat Care"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Palliative care is an essential component of high-quality cancer care; however, limited research has examined the multilevel barriers to and facilitators of social workers\u2019 ability to deliver palliative care for patients with cancer. Guided by ecological systems theory, this qualitative study identifies such barriers and facilitators perceived by social workers providing palliative cancer care in the United States.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Using an exploratory qualitative design, we conducted semi-structured Zoom interviews with 10 social workers practicing in palliative cancer care settings. We identified themes in participant responses using reflective thematic analysis and interpreted those themes within an ecological systems framework.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Participants identified barriers and facilitators across societal, organizational, interpersonal, and individual levels. Societal barriers included stigma, misunderstandings about palliative care, and financial constraints, whereas integration into care teams and continuity across care settings facilitated coordinated care. Organizational barriers included excessive workload demands and delayed referrals; social workers\u2019 community connections facilitated enhanced resource access and care coordination. Interpersonal barriers centered on unclear role delineation, while interprofessional collaboration, proactive role education, and positive patient experiences strengthened social work practice in palliative care settings. At the individual level, insufficient role preparation and administrative burden constrained patient-centered care; however, a strong sense of professional meaning and clinical competence supported social workers\u2019 practice in these settings.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Enhancing role clarity, palliative care education, interprofessional collaboration, and organizational support may strengthen social workers\u2019 integration within palliative care settings and advance person- and family-centered cancer care.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/10499091261463522","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]],"date-time":"2026-06-24T05:56:26Z","timestamp":1782280586000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Multilevel Barriers and Facilitators of Social Work Practice in Palliative Cancer Care"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5750-4742","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ting","family":"Guan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Indiana University School of Social Work"},{"name":"Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-1016-329X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jamie","family":"Hill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Indiana University School of Social Work"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6820-0648","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xiafei","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Kentucky College of Social Work"},{"name":"University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9004-8398","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karlynn","family":"BrintzenhofeSzoc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work and Family Science"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_8_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1200\/JCO.24.00542"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_3_2","volume-title":"Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care","author":"National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care","year":"2018","unstructured":"National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care. Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care. 4th ed. National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care; 2018. Accessed 28 April 2023.","edition":"4"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/14651858.CD011129.pub2"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2009.1198"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(13)62416-2"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpainsymman.2020.06.015"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_8_2","volume-title":"Latest Trends and Insights from the National Palliative Care Registry","author":"Rogers M","year":"2019","unstructured":"Rogers M, Heitner R. Latest Trends and Insights from the National Palliative Care Registry. 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Understanding oncologists' perceptions about palliative care and the barriers preventing its use. The ASCO Post. May 25 2022. Accessed April 18 2026."},{"key":"e_1_3_8_20_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12904-020-00696-y"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_21_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/cncr.24232"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_22_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/bjsw\/bcab023"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_23_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1478951525000123"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_24_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13561820.2023.2238783"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_25_2","volume-title":"On the Value of Social Work in Palliative Care","author":"Leff V","year":"2021","unstructured":"Leff V. On the Value of Social Work in Palliative Care. 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