A realist review and collaborative development of what works in the social prescribing process

Background

In social prescribing, people are referred by primary-care professionals to non-medical, community-based activities. The transfer between primary care and the community-based provider can be difficult, with low uptake and poor engagement with and adherence to interventions. There is an ambition to increase the use of social prescribing in the UK health service; however, to achieve this ambition the process of referral and retention needs improving. This study aimed to increase our understanding of what works and why in the social prescribing process and to apply this knowledge in primary-care settings where the use of the approach is being developed.

Associated project/s: Social Prescribing – Nature on Prescription Social Prescribing – Cornwall and Plymouth Researcher in Residence Social Prescribing – Effective Mechanisms for Social Prescribing Social Prescribing – Understanding what works in, and supporting provision of, nature – based therapeutic interventions for people with an identifiable mental illness CHOICES: CHildren and young people’s Options In the Community for Enhancing wellbeing through Social prescribing. Defra Green Social Prescribing Evaluation PhD Project – Social prescribing and horticulture therapy for autistic adults

Reference:

Rebecca Lovell, Kerryn Husk, Kelly Blockley, Alison Bethel, Dan Bloomfield, Sara Warber, Mark Pearson, Iain Lang, Richard Byng, Ruth Garside, A realist review and collaborative development of what works in the social prescribing process, The Lancet, Volume 390, Supplement 3, 2017,
Page S62,