Table 2 Participant and hospital characteristics

Participant characteristics (n = 14)

Sex:

 - 14 Female^a

Race:

 - 13 Caucasian

 - 1 African American

Age (n = 14):

 - 25–55 years, median 40 years old

Years post MSW training:

 - 3–32 years, median 12.5 years

Patient case load:

 - 20–50 patients per social worker, median 36 patients

Frequency of contact with palliative care social worker:

 - >1 month – daily, average 2–3 times a week

Length of time palliative care team active in hospital:

 - ≥ 5 years

Hospital characteristics (n = 6)

Hospital size:

 - 300–1100 beds, median 640 beds

Hospital location:

 - 2 Small community areas

 - 2 Larger urban areas

 - 2 Inner-city