Abstract
Aims:
Social prescribing continues to grow and change across healthcare services in
Wales; however, research of the day-to-day performance of social prescribers
is limited. This study aimed to explore which roles are perceived to be the
most important and frequently used by social prescribers in Wales and
compare these results to reports in studies of services in other countries
in order to support future role development and potential
standardisation.
Methods:
This study used the Group Concept Mapping via the Concept Systems Global Max™
software to collect and analyse all data from both participants and
literature.
Results:
There was a total of 101 statements generated (119 participants, 84
literature) ranging from generic interpersonal skills to specialised
training (cognitive behavioural therapy). These statements were then sorted
by conceptual similarity into seven clusters (Providing a Specialist
Service, Working in a person-centred way, Skills, Connecting Clients with
Community, Collaborative Working, Evaluating and postprogramme duties, and
Networking/Community). Statements were rated based on their perceived
importance and frequency, with the ‘Skills’ cluster having the highest
overall average and ‘Providing a Specialist Service’ having the lowest.
Conclusions:
Reports indicate that in general there is variation in the roles performed by
individual participants in Wales; however, greater variation was observed
between participants and literature suggesting geographical divergence in
practice. In the top 12 highest rated statements for both frequency and
importance, individualistic traits such as empathy and ‘being a listener’
are favoured over specialised methods such as cognitive behavioural therapy
and behaviour change taxonomy. Results suggest that local need plays a part
in the choices and performance of social prescribers and as such should be
considered in future standardisation.
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