Improving social prescribing effectiveness: enhancing the role of third sector organisations in health and environmental outcomes

社会处方是一种新的方法，它将初级保健与社区资源联系起来，通过满足实际、社会和情感需求来提高个人幸福感。我们的研究就是在这种背景下进行的，旨在揭示关键利益相关者和潜在结果之间的互动。研究背景社会处方倡议，特别是那些在英国国家医疗服务体系内运行的倡议，涉及医疗保健专业人员介绍个人与工作人员联系，后者反过来将他们与社区资源联系起来。志愿、社区和社会企业(VCSE)部门在提供这些社区资源方面发挥着关键作用，包括支助小组、体育活动、宣传和基于自然的干预。这种方法与认识健康的社会决定因素的转变相一致，旨在解决过度用药问题，特别是越来越多的药物使用影响个人和环境，即通过废水中的痕迹。目的、研究和方法目的有两个：1.了解VCSE动态：鉴于VCSE部门在社会处方有效性方面的重要性，我们的首要目标是描述VCSE群体与转介他们的个人(即链接工作人员)和影响其活动的人(即专员)之间的互动。探索社会处方和药品之间的联系：在VCSE活动影响的基础上，我们的第二个目标是检查社会处方的一个未被探索的结果--它对药品处方的潜在影响及其环境影响。这些将通过四项研究来解决。首先，审查将记录VCSE组织在社会处方供应方面的经验，包括资金挑战和评估结果。其次，我们将与VCSE代表进行访谈，以探索他们互动中的障碍和促进者，以及潜在的社会处方结果，包括对环境的影响。第三，在之前两项研究的基础上，将VCSE代表与LINK工作人员或专员进行配对访谈，探索他们在社会处方系统中的各自职责。目前，我预计最终研究将是对全科医生手术提供的次要数据的分析，以探索社会处方对幸福感和用药的影响，考虑到废物中的药物残留。计划合作为了解决这项研究的跨学科性质，我们组建了一个具有环境影响、社会和健康心理学以及社会处方设计和交付专业知识的主管和合作者团队。外部合作者包括韦塞克斯水务、巴斯和东北萨默塞特委员会，以及当地的巴尼斯医疗诊所。鉴于社会处方的新颖性和不断发展的性质，计划进行一次海外机构访问，以深入了解这一领域的实践。潜在的应用和益处本研究通过强调VCSE视角及其资金和评估要求以及潜在的长期健康和环境结果，解决了社会处方研究中的一个空白。我预计计划中的研究结果有几个潜在的应用和好处：-通过了解关键利益相关者之间的动态来提高社会处方的有效性，以最大限度地发挥VCSE潜力。-通过确定社会处方和药物使用之间的关系，使个人和环境受益。-通过提供关于社会处方如何通过减少废物中的药物残留来促进环境可持续性的见解，来减少药物过度处方的潜力。这项研究与不断发展的社会处方研究趋势保持一致，旨在为这一领域的政策和实施提供信息。

Social prescribing is a novel approach that connects primary healthcare with community resources to enhance individuals' wellbeing by addressing practical, social, and emotional needs. Our research operates within this context and seeks to shed light on interactions between key stakeholders and potential outcomes.Research contextSocial prescribing initiatives, notably those running within the UK's National Health Service, involve healthcare professionals referring individuals to link workers, who, in turn, connect them with community resources. The voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector plays a pivotal role in providing these community resources, including support groups, physical activities, advocacy, and nature-based interventions. This approach aligns with a shift towards recognising social determinants of health and aims to address overmedication, particularly the rising use of pharmaceuticals impacting individuals as well as the environment, namely through traces in wastewater.Aim, studies and methodsThe aims are twofold:1. Understanding VCSE dynamics: Given the importance of the VCSE sector in social prescribing effectiveness, our first aim is to characterize the interactions between VCSE groups and those referring individuals to them (i.e., link workers) and those influencing their activities (i.e., commissioners).2. Exploring the link between social prescribing and pharmaceuticals: Building on the impact of VCSE activity, our second aim is to examine an underexplored outcome of social prescribing - its potential influence on pharmaceutical prescriptions and its environmental implications.These will be addressed through four studies. Firstly, a review which will document experiences of VCSE organisations within social prescribing provision, including funding challenges and outcomes evaluated. Secondly, we will conduct interviews with VCSE representatives to explore barriers and facilitators in their interactions and potential social prescribing outcomes, including environmental impacts. Thirdly, building on the two prior studies, paired interviews combining VCSE representatives with either link workers or commissioners exploring their respective remits within the social prescribing system. At present, I anticipate the final study will be an analysis of secondary data provided by a GP surgery to explore the impact of social prescribing on wellbeing and medication use, considering pharmaceutical residue in wastewater.Planned CollaborationTo address the interdisciplinary nature of this research, we have assembled a team of supervisors and collaborators with expertise in environmental impacts, social and health psychology, and social prescribing design and delivery. External collaborators include Wessex Water, Bath & North East Somerset council, and a local BANES Medical Practice. Given the newness and evolving nature of social prescribing, an overseas institutional visit is planned to gain insights on practice in this field.Potential applications and benefitsThis research addresses a gap in social prescribing studies by emphasising VCSE perspective and their funding and evaluation requirements alongside potential longer-term health and environmental outcomes. I anticipate that the results of the planned studies have several potential applications and benefits:- Enhancing social prescribing effectiveness by understanding dynamics between key stakeholders to maximise VCSE potential.- Potential for reducing pharmaceutical over-prescription by identifying the relationship between social prescribing and pharmaceutical use to benefit individuals and the environment.- Environmental sustainability by offering insights into how social prescribing can contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing pharmaceutical residues in wastewater.This research aligns with evolving social prescribing research trends and aims to inform policy and delivery in this area.