Keywords: social prescribing, primary care, health care research, social problems, social support
Introduction:
General practitioners (GPs) are routinely confronted with their patients' social issues, such as loneliness or family crisis, which directly impact health outcomes. In Germany, a gap in integrating primary health care with social support is evident. Social prescribing (SP) offers a potential solution, aiming to holistically enhance health and well-being by connecting patients with community activities and groups.
Method:
Two anonymous, cross-sectional online surveys with open and closed questions targeting GPs were conducted. The first survey, involving GPs in Bremen, Germany, assessed their perspectives on social issues, referral pathways, and improvement opportunities in their practices. The second examined the awareness and perceptions of SP amongst GPs in various European countries.
Results:
In Bremen, 45 out of 533 GPs participated. The most important referral issues concerned children, socio-cultural factors and loneliness. The majority of patients identified as requiring referral, were not referred primarily due to the GPs' limited knowledge about available services and constraints on time. Approximately 73% of GPs reported feeling ‘burdened’ when not being able to refer patients and several shared their feeling of frustration with the current situation. Most GPs showed willingness to collaborate externally, expecting positive impacts on patient health (78%). The European survey (208 GPs from 33 countries) found that over half (56%) were familiar with SP, and 32% regularly referred patients to activities and groups in the community through a formal system. However, variations in knowledge and referral practices were evident both between and within countries.
Conclusions:
The Bremen study highlights an information gap regarding available support services, impeding patient referrals and leading to GP frustration. Despite this, GPs are open to new forms of collaboration. The findings across both studies reveal an opportunity perceived by GPs to improve patient health and their own job satisfaction through enhanced integration with the social sector.
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