%0 Journal Article
%T Social Prescribing through Primary Care: A Systematic Review of the Evidence
%A Chris Griffiths
%A Farah Hina
%A Harmony Jiang
%J Open Journal of Preventive Medicine
%P 31-58
%@ 2162-2485
%D 2022
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/ojpm.2022.122003
%X <strong>Background:</strong> In primary care, social prescribing (SP) is where a patient is referred to a ¡°link worker¡±, who considers their needs and then ¡°prescribes¡± or connects them to appropriate community-based resources and services. Recent policy and guidance in the UK has significantly expanded the provision of SP to improve patient health and wellbeing. <strong>Methods:</strong> This study conducted a systematic review of evidence for SP effectiveness and to report needs addressed, interventions provided, and behaviour change techniques employed. Inclusion criterion was patient referral from primary care to a SP link worker. Online databases were searched for studies published from February 2016 to July 2021. Searches were restricted to English language only. Risk of bias assessment and a narrative analysis were undertaken. <strong>Results:</strong> Eight studies were included. All studies reported some positive outcomes. There were weaknesses and limitations in study design and in reporting of results: a lack of comparative controls, short duration and single point follow-up, a lack of standardised assessments, missing data, and a failure to consider potential confounding factors. All studies had features which indicated a high risk of bias. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Evidence for the value and positive impact of SP is accumulating, but evaluation design remains relatively weak. There is a need to improve evaluation through robust methodological design and the adoption of universal outcome measures and evaluation/analytical framework. SP should seek to assess patient wellbeing, self-management, and quality of lifeoutcomes systematically, and adopt behaviour change techniques to enable healthier lifestyles in the short and long term.
%K Social Prescription
%K Greenspaces
%K Systematic Review
%K Wellbeing
%K Self-Management
%K Quality of Life
%K Behaviour Change
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=116661