@article{97f80ba727e94f8e94744933da51891b,
title = "A comparison of social prescribing approaches across twelve high-income countries",
abstract = "Background: Social prescribing connects patients with community resources to improve their health and well-being. It is gaining momentum globally due to its potential for addressing non-medical causes of illness while building on existing resources and enhancing overall health at a relatively low cost. The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the need for policy interventions to address health-related social issues such as loneliness and isolation. Aim: This paper presents evidence of the conceptualisation and implementation of social prescribing schemes in twelve countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, the Netherlands, the United States and Wales. Methods: Twelve countries were identified through the Health Systems and Policy Monitor (HSPM) network and the EuroHealthNet Partnership. Information was collected through a twelve open-ended question survey based on a conceptual model inspired by the WHO's Health System Framework. Results: We found that social prescribing can take different forms, and the scale of implementation also varies significantly. Robust evidence on impact is scarce and highly context-specific, with some indications of cost-effectiveness and positive impact on well-being. Conclusions: This paper provides insights into social prescribing in various contexts and may guide countries interested in holistically tackling health-related social factors and strengthening community-based care. Policies can support a more seamless integration of social prescribing into existing care, improve collaboration among sectors and training programs for health and social care professionals.",
keywords = "Community referral, Link worker, Person-centred care, Social determinants of health, Social prescribing",
author = "Giada Scarpetti and Hannah Shadowen and Williams, {Gemma A.} and Juliane Winkelmann and Madelon Kroneman and Groenewegen, {Peter P.} and {De Jong}, {Judith D.} and In{\^e}s Fronteira and Augusto, {Gon{\c c}alo Figueiredo} and Sonia Hsiung and Si{\^a}n Slade and Daniela Rojatz and Daniela Kallayova and Zuzana Katreniakova and Iveta Nagyova and Marika Kyl{\"a}nen and Pia Vracko and Amrita Jesurasa and Zoe Wallace and Carolyn Wallace and Caroline Costongs and Barnes, {Andrew J.} and {van Ginneken}, Ewout",
note = "Funding Information: Different funding mechanisms have been exploited for social prescribing programs such as philanthropic funding, government funding, health insurance reimbursements, and research funds. In Australia, funding comes from a mixture of philanthropic and charitable organisations, as well as some state government funding. Similarly, in Canada funding sources differ based on the project with some funding from the provincial Ministry of Health and other funding from private donors/foundations. In Austria, social prescribing is funded by funding calls from the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection. Similarly, in the US, most of the funding has been obtained through grants or research funds for randomized control trials, testing the effectiveness of social prescribing. Generally, health insurance companies do not provide these services in the US, although state Medicaid Managed Care Organizations have started to pay for link workers. Funding Information: Some countries pay for link workers through a salaried position. Starting in 2019, NHS England has paid 100% reimbursement of the salary of a full-time social prescribing link worker for every 13,000 patients. With this, link workers became salaried employees of primary care practices. In Germany, health insurances are the primary funder for link workers{\textquoteright} salaries (e.g., for Hamburg/Billstedt four large health insurance funds are partners). In Slovenia, health-related NGOs are funded by the Ministry of Health and/or municipalities, while primary health care services, including health promotion centers, are funded by the National Health Insurance Fund. Workers in the social sector are funded through the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. In Wales, most link workers are employed on fixed-term contracts paid for by the integrated care fund, GP cluster funding, health boards or local authorities [27] . The pilot project in Lapland, Finland, is funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. In Portugal, link workers{\textquoteright} salaries are funded through the budget allocated to the FHU and supported by the municipality, requiring no additional remuneration. Similarly, in the Netherlands, link workers are funded exclusively by municipalities. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024",
year = "2024",
month = apr,
doi = "10.1016/j.healthpol.2024.104992",
language = "English",
volume = "142",
journal = "Health Policy",
issn = "0168-8510",
publisher = "Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.",
}