Global Social Prescribing
Social prescribing is a model of care delivery that enables health professionals to formally prescribe non-clinical community activities— including the arts, movement, nature, and service (volunteering)— to improve patient health, and at minimal patient cost. No matter where it is implemented, it is built on a foundation of health equity and collaboration across sectors.
How it is implemented depends on a number of factors, including a country’s existing healthcare infrastructure. As social prescribing work expands within the United States, careful research will guide policy on how social prescribing may best fit into our healthcare system. Social prescribing in the United States may not follow the exact blueprint of social prescribing in the UK, in Australia, in Japan, or anywhere else around the globe (see Social Prescribing Around the World from the International Social Prescribing Collaborative, the World Health Organization, and the National Academy for Social Prescribing), but studying and learning from international models can help inform domestic practice.
Jump to: United Kingdom & Ireland, Continental Europe, Asia, The Americas, Australia & New Zealand
Overview
Quick Links
United Kingdom (UK) & Ireland
While engaging with communities and resources is a practice valued and shared across cultures for millennia, the United Kingdom is credited as the first country to formalize social prescribing as a part of its healthcare system. Of particular note, England’s National Health Service (NHS) announced formal initiatives to fund social prescribing in 2017 and included social prescribing as a pillar of its comprehensive model of personalized care in 2019.
Healthy London & NHS Partnership, Social Prescribing Animation
UK Delivery Model
In the UK, social prescribing is typically delivered via a three-part model:
A health professional or trusted community member identifies a patient as a candidate for social prescribing and refers them to a link worker (also known by various other terms).
The link worker collaborates with the patient to understand their lifestyle and goals, co-creating a personalized social prescription that best aligns with their needs.
The link worker follows up with the patient to assess the effectiveness of the social prescription and reports back to the referring provider.
Additional Resources from the United Kingdom & Ireland
UK and Irish organizations offer a number of additional resources on social prescribing, outlining the potential economic benefits, strategies for implementation, and general education for the international public.
Social Prescribing Around the World (PDF)
A report, published jointly in 2024 by the International Social Prescribing Collaborative, World Health Organization, and National Academy for Social Prescribing, outlining social prescribing models & initiatives around the world.
Report on Physical Activity and Social Prescribing (PDF)
The Health & Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament outlined their position of the importance of athletic activity in 2019, arguing for it as an ‘investment, not a cost.’
Making Sense of Social Prescribing (PDF)
A report from the University of Westminster proposes standardized definitions for vocabulary relevant to social prescribing and outlines schemas by which to form and evaluate social prescribing initiatives.
Wales National Model for Social Prescribing (PDF)
In January 2024, the Welsh Government introduced its National Framework for Social Prescribing, a proposal to assess and scale social prescribing initiatives across Wales.
A collection of evidence reviews on the efficacy of social prescribing, conducted by the UK’s National Academy for Social Prescribing.
Evaluation Report, SPRING Social Prescribing (PDF)
SPRING provides social prescriptions to individuals in Scotland & Northern Ireland; a report by the National Community Lottery Fund used a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the effectiveness of such programs.
Five Case Studies from England (PDF)
A report from Health Innovation South West (one of the NHS’s Health Innovation networks) on five social prescribing pilots and their impact.
Mental Health Policy Plan, HSE Ireland (PDF)
The Health Service Executive, which manages Ireland’s publicly-funded healthcare, included social prescribing in its mental health policy plan.
Social Prescribing in Continental Europe
Portugal
Implementation of Social Prescribing in Primary Care Units
A Portuguese report outlines lessons-learned and possible barriers to broader implementation of social prescribing from a pilot.
Portugal
Announcement of Social Prescribing Portugal Network
NOVA National School of Public Health launches the Social Prescribing Portugal Network with the support of the Portuguese government in 2024.
The Netherlands
An Explorative Qualitative Study on ‘Welzjin op Recept’ (Social Prescribing)
Qualitative evaluation of pilots from Welzjin op Recept (‘Wellness on Prescription’), a Dutch social prescribing initiative. Conducted in partnership with the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction.
Austria
Social Prescribing Resources from Gesundheit Osterreich
Case studies, explainer briefs, and training materials from Austria’s National Public Health Institute.
Social Prescribing in Asia
South Korea
Social Prescribing Pilot for Rural, Elderly South Koreans during COVID-19
Evaluation of a social prescribing pilot for rural, older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
India
Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) program
Analysis in The Lancet of the community of health workers that connect rural Indians to community and health resources.
China
Healthy Aging in China: A Social Prescribing Perspective
Analysis of attitudes towards social prescribing in China, and identification of six sub-areas of opportunity for scaling social prescribing across the population.
Singapore
Social Prescribing in Duke-NUS Medical School Curriculum
Formal introduction of social prescribing to the Duke-NUS Medical School curriculum in 2021.
Singapore
SingHealth to Advance Population Health Efforts with New Local and International Partnerships
Announcement of SingHealth Hospital as First WHO-designated Social Prescribing Site, effective November 14th, 2024.
Read additional updates on social prescribing in Singapore in The Lancet.
Social Prescribing in The Americas
Canada
Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing
Hosted by the Canadian Red Cross, CISP serves as the Canadian hub of social prescribing efforts and delivers education, evidence & policy positions to Canadians on social prescribing.
Canada
Structured program by which physicians can prescribe parks passes to patients.
Canada
Alliance for Healthier Communities
Ontario-based organization that provides education and piloting of social prescribing programs, including its inaugural RxCommunity pilot for older adults.
United States
Toolkit for Student Movements for Social Prescribing
Toolkit developed by students at the Harvard Global Health Institute, in partnership with global university students.
United States
Report on the role of Social Care in Healthcare
Consensus study report from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine outlining the importance of social care in healthcare delivery.
Social Prescribing in Australia & New Zealand
Australia
Social Prescribing Student Collective
A group within the Australian Medical Students’ Association to promote social prescribing education and action across Australia.
Australia
Report resulting from a roundtable at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners on social prescribing; recommendations for implementation at scale.
Australia
Department of Health National Preventive Health Strategy
Formal inclusion of social prescribing in the National Preventive Health Strategy from the Australian Government’s Department of Health
Australia
ASPIRE - Australian Social Prescribing Institute of Research and Education
ASPIRE coordinates and aggregates research on social prescribing and partners with global universities to promote a quality-of-life approach to wellbeing.