Project information

Aim

Referral activity

Participants in evaluation (excluding health professionals and link workers)

Activities patients referred to by social prescribing facilitator/coordinator

1. Project name, location: Plus Social Program, Sydney, Australia

Author, year: Aggar et al., 2019 [20]

Date project established (or time period of evaluation): 2016-2017

Type of evaluation: Uncontrolled before and after

To evaluate whether the program improved QoL, and social and economic participation.

Referred to link worker: Not reported

Attended link worker appointment:

Not reported

Attended a prescribed activity/services: N = 24

GP surgeries involved:

Not reported

Approached to participate:

Not reported

Agreed to participate: N = 24

Included in evaluation analysis: N = 13

Activity:

All participants attended a weekly arts and crafts group. Support and review from GP and social worker before and after the group. Service referral options included the Connecting

Care Chronic Disease Management Program, the NSW Health Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative, the Personal Helpers and Mentors service, and the Acute Post-Acute Care “Hospital in the Home” service.

Duration: 2 to 3 hours weekly for 10 weeks

2. Project name, location: The social prescribing service, City and Hackney, London

Author, year: Carnes, 2017 [21]

Date project established (or time period of evaluation): 1^st Feb 2014-31^st Jan 2016

Type of evaluation: Controlled before and after

To investigate whether a social prescribing service could be implemented in a general practice (GP) setting and to evaluate its effect on well-being and primary care resource use.

Referred to link worker: N = 585

Attended link worker appointment: N = 504 (86%)

Attended a prescribed activity/services: Not reported

GP surgeries involved:

N = 22

Approached to participate: N = 3475

Agreed to participate: N = 486 (N = 302 in the control group, N = 184 in the intervention group).

Participants in the propensity

matched “usual care” control group did not take part in the social prescribing programme.

Included in evaluation analysis: 184/475 (39%) for intervention and 302/3000 (10%) for control at baseline, and 69/181 (38%) for intervention and 127/302 (42%) for control at 8 months

Intervention group (N = 184)

Activity:

Development of goals for a wellbeing plan. Appropriate referral to community organisations and services to help meet goals.

Duration:

Up to six sessions with the social prescribing coordinator and contacts with a volunteer (who provided additional support) as required.