By facilitating communication and improving the relationship between doctors and patients

medical social work proves to be an effective solution to the problem of medical disputes and has been included in the assessment indicators for medical institutions in China.In order to achieve its goals

medical social work must be active in the critical link of medical service decision-making

which is now hindered by such factors as unclear ownership of power

lack of timeliness and poor quality.A survey of Taiwan′s medical social work practice showed that social work intervention can ease these dilemmas.It can promote joint decision-making between doctors and patients by removing constrains in decision-making

improve decision-making timeliness by reducing information asymmetry between doctors and patients and raise the quality of joint decision-making by empowering the patients.In order to maximize the effect of social work intervention

it is necessary to rationally define the role of medical social workers in the medical service team

change the attitude of doctors and patients to decision-making and streamline the process of joint decision-making.It is also necessary for medical social workers to master some basic medical knowledge.