Introduction: Information and communications technologies in the welfare Services: Wired Wonderland or Hypertext Hell? Part 1. Social Work and Social Care. 1. The Caring Professions and Information Technology: In search of a theory. 2. Using the Internet for Evidence Based Practice. 3. Real Records, Virtual Clients. 4. Technology and systems of referral taking in Social Services: From Narrative to Code. 5. Internet Child Abuse. Part 2. Health and Welfare. 6. Information Technology and the Organisation of patient care. 7. Health, collaborative learning and the collapse of professionalism? The Information Brothel. 8. From Self-Service Welfare to Virtual Self-Help. 9. Consumers, the Internet and Reconfiguration of expertise. Conclusion: Technologies of Care References. Index.
Bringing together academics to discuss research on the application of information technology (IT) in health and social care, this text discusses a variety of technologies, including the Internet, multimedia, artificial intelligence and online communities. The contributors seek to take a balanced approach, highlighting the anxiety as well as the advantages brought about by these developments in technology.