Islam M Mofizul
Department of Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Front Public Health. 2020 Nov 27;8:515469. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.515469. eCollection 2020.
In recent times, social prescribing has been introduced in some countries, and substantially in the U.K. The objective of this scheme is to offer non-medical care mainly to primary care patients. Although the idea of this scheme is not new, its formalization is. Using a narrative synthesis of peer-reviewed and gray literature, this article discusses the social prescribing scheme, some of its compelling aspects and challenges in offering non-medical care, particularly regarding referrals being made from primary care settings. The social prescribing scheme has several impelling forces that include its potential to turn primary care to primary healthcare, tackle social determinants of health and social needs, improve wellbeing and physical health, offer person-centered care, strengthen preventive care, and bridge healthcare organizations with the third sector. This scheme also faces several challenges including service standards and boundaries, sustainability, availability of appropriate services, low engagement of clients and insufficient evidence. While this scheme lacks validated evidence, it is theoretically compelling. Given that the demand for non-medical care is growing in most societies and that the usefulness of non-medical care is gaining prominence, social prescribing is likely to continue to proliferate.
近年来，一些国家引入了社会处方，英国引入的程度颇高。该计划的目标是主要为初级保健患者提供非医疗护理。尽管该计划的理念并不新颖，但其正式确立却是新事物。本文通过对同行评审文献和灰色文献的叙述性综合，探讨了社会处方计划、其一些引人关注的方面以及在提供非医疗护理方面面临的挑战，特别是关于从初级保健机构进行转诊的问题。社会处方计划有几个推动因素，包括将初级保健转变为初级卫生保健的潜力、解决健康和社会需求的社会决定因素、改善幸福感和身体健康、提供以人为本的护理、加强预防保健以及在医疗保健组织与第三部门之间架起桥梁。该计划也面临一些挑战，包括服务标准和界限、可持续性、适当服务的可获得性、客户参与度低以及证据不足。虽然该计划缺乏经过验证的证据，但在理论上很有说服力。鉴于大多数社会对非医疗护理的需求不断增长，且非医疗护理的效用日益凸显，社会处方可能会继续普及。
