Dialysis social worker vs medical social worker

The differences between dialysis social workers and medical social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a dialysis social worker and a medical social worker. Additionally, a medical social worker has an average salary of $57,093, which is higher than the $52,616 average annual salary of a dialysis social worker.

The top three skills for a dialysis social worker include social work, patients and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a medical social worker are social work, patients, and home health.

Dialysis social worker vs medical social worker overview

	Dialysis Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Yearly salary	$52,616	$57,093
Hourly rate	$25.30	$27.45
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	100,651	87,792
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 59%	Master's Degree, 48%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does a dialysis social worker do?

A dialysis social worker supports patients undergoing dialysis, educating and helping them cope with the changes brought by their disease and treatment. They conduct initial interviews and assessments to identify the patients' needs and develop plans to meet them, help patients understand and navigate through the healthcare system, coordinate services for the patients, and work together with healthcare providers to ensure the patients get to receive optimal care. They may also communicate with insurance providers and coordinate with families to help them adjust to having a loved one in dialysis.

What does a medical social worker do?

A medical social worker specializes in managing a patient's health care and welfare while communicating with guardians or families, focusing on helping them cope and understand the medical conditions and situations. They are primarily responsible for assessing a patient's condition to identify their needs, conducting interviews to gather background information regarding the patient and family, and referring any social service programs that may provide them with the assistance or help they need. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify any signs of abuse or neglect and conduct intervention procedures right away.

Dialysis social worker vs medical social worker salary

Dialysis social workers and medical social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dialysis Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Average salary	$52,616	$57,093
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $69,000	Between $42,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between dialysis social worker and medical social worker education

There are a few differences between a dialysis social worker and a medical social worker in terms of educational background:

	Dialysis Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 59%	Master's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Dialysis social worker vs medical social worker demographics

Here are the differences between dialysis social workers' and medical social workers' demographics:

	Dialysis Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 18.5% Female, 81.5%	Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between dialysis social worker and medical social worker duties and responsibilities

Dialysis social worker example responsibilities.

Teach and supervise MSW and BSW students in educational practicums.
Position involve interdisciplinary collaboration and working with the patients and their families by providing assistance with emotional adjustment to illness.
Facilitate assistance to both permanent and guest patients in the arrangement of dialysis treatment when traveling and ensure completion of arrangements.
Work with a complex interdisciplinary team facilitating treatment for patients on medical floors including oncology, dialysis, cardiac and maternity.
Analyze psychological / psycho-social evaluations, IEP's, and medical histories within a referral packet to determine eligibility.

Medical social worker example responsibilities.

Understand manage care, Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
Humanize the medical setting for elderly patients by using appropriate compassion in explaining complex information.
Provide crisis intervention, supportive counseling and trauma/grief counseling for patients and their families experiencing acute or chronic traumatic events.
Provide hands-on assessment and monitoring of suspect child abuse and neglect cases of children needing intensive rehabilitation and specialize care.
Provide social casework to patients having difficulty in social functioning, primarily as it affects their health and emotional rehabilitation.
Facilitate family counseling, crisis intervention, and assessments of specials population including geriatrics, homeless and substance abusing veterans.

Dialysis social worker vs medical social worker skills

Common dialysis social worker skills

Social Work, 46%
Patients, 29%
Rehabilitation, 3%
Hemodialysis, 3%
ESRD, 3%
Social Services, 2%

Common medical social worker skills

Social Work, 24%
Patients, 19%
Home Health, 11%
MSW, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
Crisis Intervention, 3%

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Dialysis Social Worker
Dialysis Social Worker vs Medical Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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