Patient uptake and adherence to social prescribing: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Social prescription is an initiative that aims to link patients in primary care with sources of support within the community and voluntary sector to improve their health, wellbeing, and care experience. Such programmes usually include navigators, who work with referred patients and issue onward referrals to sources of non-medical support. Most research on social prescribing (SP) has focused on outcome evaluations, resulting in a knowledge gap of factors affecting uptake and adherence. Understanding such factors enables the refinement of programmes, which has the potential to enhance uptake and adherence, reduce health inequalities, and optimise investment. AIM: To explore the experiences and views of service users, involved GPs, and navigators on factors influencing uptake and adherence to SP. DESIGN & SETTING: Qualitative interviews were conducted with stakeholders involved in an SP programme in the east of England (Luton). METHOD: Data were collected from semi-structured face-to-face interviews with service users, navigators, and GPs. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Factors affecting uptake and adherence to SP were related to patients’ trust in GPs, navigators' initial phone call, supportive navigators and service providers, free services, and perceived need and benefits. Reported barriers to uptake and adherence were fear of stigma of psychosocial problems, patient expectations, and the short-term nature of the programme. CONCLUSION: This study provides an insight into factors affecting patient uptake and adherence to SP programmes. More research in this field, including patients who refused to participate in SP, is needed.