El Trabajo Social necesita adoptar un enfoque basado en la práctica para integrar las tecnologías de la comunicación móviles.

Abstract

Face-to-face communication facilitates empathy and trust between social work professionals and users but can be complemented with forms of online communication. We present a meta-analysis based on academic publications on mobile communication technology and experiences of social inclusion and psychosocial intervention with vulnerable people. We see a rapid development of mobile health services from which social workers cannot be ignored. Mobile phone devices allow knowing the activity level of people, habits, and their mobility through GPS. Vital signs, moods, sleep disorders, adherence to medication, heart rate, or body temperature can be monitored, but they also allow counseling in favor of the biopsychosocial development of the person. We conclude that it is possible to integrate mobile communication into social work practice. There are advantages in terms of offering more frequent and personalized attention, avoiding trips to the user, but there are also challenges in terms of the development of specific software for Social Work, in the digital training of professionals, in interdisciplinary collaboration, in terms of confidentiality and also, problems or challenges for the organization and management of social services.