Social prescribing is a means for health-care workers to connect patients to a range of nonclinical services in the community to improve health and well-being. Social prescribing can help to address the underlying causes of patients’ health and well-being issues, as opposed to simply treating symptoms. Thus, social prescribing is a more holistic approach to health care, which promotes community-based integrated care and helps to demedicalize health service provision.
Social prescribing can be used to refer patients to a variety of activities and services. The exact “social prescriptions” are specific to each community and care setting, but typically they include services providing support in mental health, social inclusion, and financial and housing advice, as well activities promoting physical activity and creative self-expression.
Social prescribing has been implemented in several countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with early pilots taking place in different parts of the Western Pacific Region, such as in China. Social prescribing is a relatively new concept in health care, as it requires inclusion of community partners from outside the health sector.
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