SNJ ASSOCIATES RESEARCH NEWS AND INFORMATION
WEEKLY DIGEST Oct. 18, 2018
This week’s digest focuses on a quick introduction to social prescribing
Social Prescribing ~ Using Non-medical resources in the community to improve people's health and well-being
When we hear the word prescription, we all know that it means a doctor has given us medicine from the drug store or pharmacy.
When we hear the term social prescribing, we may not really know what that means.
Social prescribing is a way for doctors, nurses and other members of our healthcare teams to use non-medical resources in our community to help improve our health and well being. It is estimated that for many people, up to 80% of those visiting their doctor’s office or local health clinic may find a ‘social prescription’ helpful. When a clinician connects a patient with resources in their community in addition to providing regular medical health care, we see a significant improvement in many health conditions.
The use of the social prescribing model is very popular in the United Kingdom. In addition, most of the research on social prescribing has also occurred in the UK. However, social prescribing is becoming more popular in North American.
There are thousands of people who experience anxiety, chronic pain, lonliness, grief, depression along with many other physical, emotional, and psychological complaints, who have found relief from their suffering and have improved their health and well being by being given a social prescription.