Social prescribing is a healthcare approach in which healthcare professionals refer people with complex health and social issues to meaningful communities in their local neighbourhoods.
A general practice may refer a patient to a link worker, who provides personalised support to help the patient find relevant social activities in their neighbourhood, such as cultural or community-based activities.
Social prescribing is a holistic approach to healthcare, with great potential to reduce social inequality in health. The concept is internationally recognised. The WHO recommends it as part of the future primary healthcare system.
Social prescribing has shown positive results in countries such as England, where it is now an integral part of the British NHS. It is also gaining ground in several other European countries, including Denmark.
Our research explores how this model can best be applied in a Danish context, and how it is best integrated as part of the collaboration between healthcare and civil society.
Social prescribing is a preventive health approach that connects citizens in vulnerable life situations, such as loneliness, unhappiness or low attachment to the labour market, to communities, groups and services in their local community to strengthen well-being, self-care and quality of life.
Social prescribing is shaped as a collaboration between the healthcare sector and local civil society organisations. This approach represents one way of reducing inequity in health.
