Findings from University of Alabama Provide New Insights into Managed Care (Social work involvement in advance care planning post US 2016 Medicare policy change: a systematic review): Managed Care

2026 APR 14 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on Managed Care. According to news reporting from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Since 2016, the US Medicare programme has reimbursed physicians and advanced practice providers for advance care planning (ACP) discussions; however, social workers-who play a critical role in ACP-remain excluded from reimbursement. This systematic review synthesises empirical evidence published since the 2016 policy change on three aspects of social workers’ involvement in ACP: (1) extent of involvement, (2) attitudes and competencies and (3) effectiveness of social worker-led ACP interventions.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the University of Alabama, “This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Four databases (PsycINFO, CINAHL, SocINDEX and PubMed) were searched for peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and October 2025. 19 studies met inclusion criteria. Findings were synthesised across five domains: social workers’ ACP practices, knowledge, attitudes, roles and intervention effectiveness. Across studies, clinical social workers demonstrated strong knowledge of advance directives and reported high levels of confidence in facilitating ACP discussions. Most participants expressed positive attitudes towards ACP and viewed ACP facilitation as a core professional responsibility. Intervention studies suggested that social worker-led ACP initiatives may increase patient engagement in ACP, particularly completion of formal ACP documentation. The available evidence highlights social workers’ substantial contributions to ACP and suggests their potential effectiveness in improving ACP engagement.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “These findings support ongoing policy discussions regarding the inclusion of social workers in ACP reimbursement frameworks.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Social work involvement in advance care planning post US 2016 Medicare policy change: a systematic review. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 2026. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care can be contacted at: Bmj Publishing Group, British Med Assoc House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JR, England.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Peiyuan Zhang, School of Social Work, University of Alabama System, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Additional authors for this research include Yixuan Wang, Jihyeong Jeong, Kaipeng Wang and John G. Cagle.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1136/spcare-2025-006061. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Publisher contact information for the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care is: Bmj Publishing Group, British Med Assoc House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JR, England.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)