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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Health Serv.
Sec. Implementation Science
Volume 4 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frhs.2024.1413711

Stakeholder Views on Addressing Challenges to the Implementation of Social Prescribing

Provisionally accepted
Sima Rafiei Sima Rafiei 1Mahsa Honary Mahsa Honary 1*Barbara Mezes Barbara Mezes 2
  • 1 Management School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
  • 2 University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objectives: This study aimed to understand the key barriers to successfully implementing Social Prescribing (SP) initiatives from different perspectives.Methods: An in-depth process evaluation using a multi-method qualitative design was conducted.Qualitative data was collected via semi-structured interviews (N = 23) and Focus Group Discussion (FGD' N = 4). Twenty-three stakeholders took part in the study, including community support providers (n =7), SP link workers (n =6), service users (n =6), NHS employees/referrals, and those who were involved in SP leadership and coordination (n =4). MAXQDA Version 20.0 was used for management and data analysis.We identified eight themes representing challenges for a successful implementation of a SP programme. The themes included i) financial issues and sustainability, ii) human resources challenges, iii) partnership working challenges, iv) inadequate and inconsistent implementation, v) information system challenges, vi) referral system issues, vii) training and knowledge gaps, and viii) accessibility and privacy concerns.Study findings provide insight for commissioners, providers, and link workers to guide the delivery of appropriate SP services by identifying a range of factors that hinder the successful implementation of the programme. Future policy, service development, and research should consider tackling these challenges and generating different ideas for potential solutions to address the root causes of problems.

    Keywords: implementation challenges, Social prescribing, Stakeholder, qualitative study, Participatory method

    Received: 12 Jul 2024; Accepted: 27 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Rafiei, Honary and Mezes. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Mahsa Honary, Management School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.