Social prescribing interventions for adults with chronic conditions in community settings demonstrated improvements in quality of life, physical activity levels, and disease-specific outcomes. 

Background 

Long-term, or chronic conditions, can negatively impact an individual’s quality of life and increase health care utilization. Social prescribing is an emerging approach to connect patients with community-based resources and support services through link workers. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of social prescribing on quality of life, physical activity, psychological well-being, and condition management in community-based adults. 

Findings  

The review included 12 randomized and quasi-randomized control trials with 3,566 participants from various countries, where the social prescribing program ranged from eight weeks to 18 months in length and included referrals to exercise-based activities, support groups, community events, and other activities. The most commonly measured outcomes were quality of life, psychological well-being, and disease-specific outcomes (e.g., diabetes and cancer). Some programs improved quality of life, but evidence for improvements in anxiety and depression was inconsistent across studies. 

Program/Policy Takeaways 

This review suggests that social prescribing interventions designed to target specific conditions demonstrated significant improvements in quality of life and disease-specific psychological outcomes. Health care providers and community-based organizations can consider how social prescribing programs can impact outcomes for independent adults living with diabetes, cancer, and other related conditions.