What is Social Prescribing?
Social prescribing is a model that enables health care providers and social service professionals to connect individuals with non-clinical supports and community resources that address individual and community needs based on the social determinants of health.
A person-centred approach
Social prescribing (SP) is a person-centred approach that fosters self-determination by supporting individuals to create their own pathways to holistic well-being. Health care professionals and social service providers work collaboratively with clients to connect them with services that support basic needs, social and emotional well-being, and that foster community belonging.
Why Social Prescribing?
People are healthier when they are connected to resources and supports in their communities. To provide comprehensive care, these supports must address not only physical health, but social and structural factors that influence well-being, such as loneliness, inadequate income or housing, food insecurity, or a need for creativity, movement, or community connection.
Investments in prevention and holistic care, such as SP, help bridge the gap between what is needed and what is available, proactively promoting individual and community health and reducing the burden on the health care system.
WELL-BEING
COMMUNITY
IMPACT
How does social prescribing work?
IDENTIFY | LINK | CO-CREATE
SP is a holistic approach to health care that bridges the gap between clinical and social care. SP provides a pathway that empowers individuals to access meaningful, local community resources through their primary care providers who are enabled to track and measure its impact.
The pathway
ENTER
An individual with unique needs, interests, and desires is referred to an SP initiative.
CONNECT
The individual works with a SP connector to co-create personalized plans that align with their unique needs. Together, they craft plans that truly matter to the individual.
PARTICIPATE
An individual participates in activities by leveraging community supports and resources to enhance their well-being and holistic health.
FOLLOW UP
The SP connector journeys along and follows up through check-ins to ensure the activities are appropriate, identify any barriers, and to observe health outcomes.
LEARN
Evaluation and learning continues to improve the pathway as individuals move on or re-enter the process.
Broad Evidence
Social prescribing has significant potential to improve health systems within the dimensions of the Quintuple Aim.
The Quintuple Aim is a set of five interrelated and reinforcing goals for individual well-being, community health promotion and health systems improvement.
The five goals of the Quintuple Aim
Sample Evidence
Health Outcomes
A systematic review of seven global SP studies revealed:
48% of participants reported more frequent physical activity;
20% reported improvements in
their health status;
23% reported improvements in
their health confidence.
Patient Experience
Results from The Way In Network
in Calgary, A.B., have shown that:
76% of participants reported being less lonely and isolated;
83% felt the program helped them access needed community services;
76% reported the program helped them communicate and advocate with their medical team.
Reduce Costs
The impact of the SP initiative at Involve Kent CHC in the UK includes:
5% reduction in unplanned
inpatient stays;
26% reduction in ER visits among
older adults.
Clinician Experience
The Evaluation findings from the Alliance for Healthier Communities’ Rx: Community Pilot- Social Prescribing in Ontario revealed:
42% of health providers reported
SP decreased the number of
repeat visits by clients;
74% of health providers reported
an increase in collaboration
and integration between
interprofessional health providers
Promote Health Equity
Ongoing research seeks to demonstrate the impact of SP for equity-deserving and marginalized communities in Canada. It is evident that factors such as income, housing, food security and other social determinants of health impact long term health and well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the drastic impact of these factors among low-income, underhoused and racialized groups. Many SP initiatives in Canada arose in response to these practical community needs.
Social Prescribing in Canada
SP is expanding in Canada and beyond. More than 20 countries are adopting this model in primary, secondary, rehabilitation, acute, and home care and community sectors.
SP is being recognized as an important step in improving the health system, and better integrating community supports within it. SP can help Canada leverage the value of community-based and social services, lessen the burden on primary and acute health care systems and promote individual and community health.
Explore More
CISP is an intersectoral collaboration initiative of the Canadian Red Cross.
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