Non-clinical community interventions: a systematised review of social prescribing schemes

Non-clinical community interventions: a systematised review of social prescribing schemes,
Arts & Health, 10:2, 97-123, DOI: 10.1080/17533015.2017.1334002

Abstract
Background: This review focused on evaluation of United Kingdom social prescribing schemes published in peer-reviewed journals and reports. Schemes, including arts, books, education and exercise “on prescription” refer patients to community sources of non-clinical intervention.
Method: A systematised review protocol appraised primary research material evaluating social prescribing schemes published 2000–2015. Searches were performed in electronic databases using keywords, and articles were screened for evaluation of patient data, referral process, assessment method and outcomes; non-evaluated articles were excluded.
Results: Of 86 schemes located including pilots, 40 evaluated primary research materials: 17 used quantitative methods including 6 randomised controlled trials; 16 qualitative methods, and 7 mixed methods; 9 exclusively involved arts on prescription.
Conclusions: Outcomes included increase in self-esteem and confidence; improvement in mental well-being and positive mood; and reduction in anxiety, depression and negative mood. Despite positive findings, the review identifies a number of gaps in the evidence base and makes recommendations for future evaluation and implementation of referral pathways.

Good health and Wellbeing – Social Prescribing: Global Social Prescribing Alliance Playbook

Good health and Wellbeing – Social Prescribing: Global Social Prescribing Alliance Playbook
Global Social Prescribing Alliance 2021

• The Global Social Prescribing Playbook is aimed at people and organisations leading local, national, and international implementation of social prescribing. The Playbook aims to:
• Explain what social prescribing is and clarify the role of the link worker
• Help leaders to plan how they can work with community groups, voluntary organisations and civic society to increase the number of community activities available, including across physical activity, financial wellbeing, arts and culture and nature
• Outline the impact of social prescribing and the opportunity it brings to people, society, economy and healthcare system
• Outline the building blocks of social prescribing
• Provide helpful self-assessment checklists and tools to help leaders to work co-productively with communities
• Support leaders to get clinical engagement and develop clinical champions for social prescribing
• Outline helpful ways to set up impact monitoring for social prescribing

The role of data in unlocking the potential of social prescribing

The role of data in unlocking the potential of social prescribing
Open Data Institute 2 November 2021

• A report by Frontier Economics for the ODI concludes there are a number of barriers to social prescribing reaching its full potential, including the lack of available data, and solid data infrastructure, such as statistics, maps and real-time service-use data that could help social prescribers and the providers of services to make decisions, build services and gain insight. 
• Also launched is the ODI Social Prescribing Flagship Public Tool which draws together a range of datasets that provide information on the incidence of deprivation and various health conditions that are likely to drive demand for different aspects of social prescribing.

VCSE Health and Wellbeing programme evaluation

Health and Wellbeing Programme evaluation
DHSC 14 October 2021

• Two independent evaluation reports have been published of the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Programme which was launched in 2018. The programme provides grants to VCSE organisations through 2 co-dependent funded mechanisms:
• the Health and Wellbeing Alliance – to cover partnership working
• the Health and Wellbeing Fund – for more targeted health interventions with social prescribing the initial thematic focus

Social prescribing for migrants in the United Kingdom: A systematic review and call for evidence

Social prescribing for migrants in the United Kingdom: A systematic review and call for evidence
Journal of Migration and Health Volume 4, 2021, 100067 (October 2021)
Highlights

• Social prescribing is an important part of the United Kingdom’s national healthcare strategy, and this is the first evidence review on social prescribing for migrants in the UK.
• Improved self-esteem, confidence, empowerment, and social connectivity were frequently reported outcomes.
• Link workers frequently took on additional support roles and/or actively delivered prescribed activities themselves.
• Despite low quality evidence, it is clear that migrants’ specific health and wellbeing needs, including the wider determinants of health, require social prescribing services to be adapted. Services should be tailored as much as possible to migrants’ preferences for language, culture, gender and service delivery format.
• Robust evaluation should be embedded into the planning and commissioning of social prescribing programmes in future. Better recording of sociodemographic characteristics (e.g. indicators of migration like country of birth and migrant typology) will enable a richer understanding of how social prescribing works and for whom.

Abstract

Merton Social Prescribing Programme Evaluation

Merton Social Prescribing Programme Evaluation
Healthy Dialogues, SW London CCG August 2021

• Analysis and evaluation of the impact of Social Prescribing Link Worker service in Merton from 2016/17 to 2018/19 (576 referrals). The service started in two practices, and has expanded across 22 practices. Another report will evaluate the service during the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery.

Social prescribing: migrant health guide

Social prescribing: migrant health guide
PHE 28 July 2021

• Advice and guidance for healthcare practitioners on the health needs of migrant patients who may require a greater range of prescribed interventions or activities than the general population to holistically address their health and wellbeing needs.
• See also the FutureNHS Social Prescribing Collaboration Platform [registration required] 

Supporting Migrants’ Access To Healthcare: Toolkit For Social Prescribing Link Workers

Supporting Migrants’ Access To Healthcare: Toolkit For Social Prescribing Link Workers
Doctors of the World June 2021

• A handbook for social prescribing link workers working with migrants.

What works when evaluating social prescribing? A realist review report

What works when evaluating social prescribing? A realist review report
Wales School for Social Prescribing Research June 2021

• Analysis of approaches used to evaluate social prescribing.

Newcastle GP Services Social Prescribing Navigator Service An independent evaluation

Newcastle GP Services Social Prescribing Navigator Service: an independent evaluation
NECSU April 2021

• The aims of this evaluation were to: 
• Understand the update and usage of social prescribing navigator services across Newcastle with regards population, conditions, and sites. 
• Analyse trends in unplanned access to secondary care.
• Understand the experience and impact from the patient as end user of this service and navigators as deliverers of the service 
• Recommend data collection and analysis for the ongoing service to have greater comprehension of the impact of the service. 
• The report describes approaches to monitoring and evaluation of social prescribing.

Effective Mechanisms for Social Prescribing

Effective Mechanisms for Social Prescribing
NIHR ARC SW Peninsula

• Ongoing research project to produce a realist review of social prescribing,
• Includes useful SP links.

A Systematic Review to Examine the Evidence in Developing Social Prescribing Interventions That Apply a Co-Productive, Co-Designed Approach to Improve Well-Being Outcomes in a Community Setting.

A Systematic Review to Examine the Evidence in Developing Social Prescribing Interventions That Apply a Co-Productive, Co-Designed Approach to Improve Well-Being Outcomes in a Community Setting.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3896. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18083896

• This systematic review aims to investigate the evidence in applying a co-design, co-productive approach to develop social prescribing interventions. 
• Two themes emerged among the eight observational studies identified. Three of the studies examined a co-produced and co-designed approach to the development of a social prescribing intervention to improve well-being within a community setting. These studies considered the dynamics and characteristics of the collaboration between service providers and service users and their communities. The remaining studies (n = 5) analysed the community outcomes and perspectives of a social prescribing intervention that applied a co-produced or co-designed approach to improve the community’s well-being.

Social Prescribing for cancer patients

Social prescribing for cancer patients: A guide for primary care networks
MacMillan Cancer Support 29 March 2021

• This guide supports Primary Care Networks and the wider workforce to understand the important role Social Prescribers play in supporting people living with cancer.

Caring as a social determinant of health: review of evidence

Caring as a social determinant of health: review of evidence
PHE 19 March 2021

• This report adds to the growing evidence that unpaid caring should be considered a social determinant of health. The main findings are: mounting evidence that unpaid caring should be considered a social determinant of health; carers experience poor physical and mental health but also have unmet care needs themselves; different groups of carers may have different support needs; a lack of clear and robust evidence about how best to support people caring for older populations, and gaps in evidence on key outcomes. 
• It includes ‘access enablers’ as important in ensuring that carers are connected with relevant services and interventions on offer. Social prescribing is one of these enablers.

Exploring the potential for social prescribing in pre-hospital emergency and urgent care: A qualitative study.

Exploring the potential for social prescribing inpre-hospital emergency and urgent care: A qualitative study.
Health Soc Care Community. 2021; 29: 654– 663. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13337

• This study aims to develop a better understanding of the role that social prescribing can play in pre-hospital emergency and urgent care services, in order to deliver care to relevant patient cohorts.

What is social prescribing?

What is social prescribing?
Kings Fund 2 February 2017 updated 4 November 2020

• An outline of Social Prescribing - what it is, how it works and how it fits into the wider system.

Social prescribing and NHS facilities

Social prescribing and NHS Facilities
Kings Fund for NHS Property Services November 2020

• This paper explores how NHS services, in particular primary and community services could make better use of their facilities to support social prescribing, holistic care and community resilience.

Social prescribing within pre-hospital urgent and emergency care

Social prescribing within pre-hospital urgent and emergency care.
NIHR Emergency Care webinar, 7 October 2020

• This session is delivered by Dr Jason Scott, Senior Lecturer in Public Health, Northumbria University. Dr Scott is also the national academic lead for the Frequent Caller National Network (FreCaNN), which works across all ambulance services nationally. He provides an overview of the potential for social prescribing within emergency ambulance services (999) and NHS111, specifically focusing on suitable patient cohorts and the macro, meso and micro determinants to social prescribing within this setting.

Ways to Wellness - at scale social prescribing

Ways to Wellness

• Ways to Wellness, “at scale” social prescribing service for people with long term conditions covering the west of Newcastle. has been running for 5 years. They have received over 7,000 referrals, with over 2,600 patients currently being supported, and have demonstrated improvements in quality of life and savings in secondary care costs.

Assessing the feasibility of evaluating the economic impact of a social prescribing programme

Assessing the feasibility of evaluating the economic impact of the BS3 Community Webs [social prescribing] programme
Pro Bono Economics September 2020

• An assessment of the feasibility of evaluating the economic impact of a Community Webs social prescribing programme by examining the availability and quality of evidence that could help link the outcomes of the programme to reduced demand for the National Health Service, including for GP appointments and reduced primary care usage.