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. 2023 Jul 14;13(7):e070184.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070184.

Establishing internationally accepted conceptual and operational definitions of social prescribing through expert consensus: a Delphi study

Caitlin Muhl  1 , Kate Mulligan  2 , Imaan Bayoumi  3 , Rachelle Ashcroft  4 , Christina Godfrey  1
Affiliations

Establishing internationally accepted conceptual and operational definitions of social prescribing through expert consensus: a Delphi study

Caitlin Muhl et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish internationally accepted conceptual and operational definitions of social prescribing.

Design: A three-round Delphi study was conducted.

Setting: This study was conducted virtually using an online survey platform.

Participants: This study involved an international, multidisciplinary panel of experts. The expert panel (n=48) represented 26 countries across five continents, numerous expert groups and a variety of years of experience with social prescribing, with the average being 5 years (range=1-20 years).

Results: After three rounds, internationally accepted conceptual and operational definitions of social prescribing were established. The definitions were transformed into the Common Understanding of Social Prescribing (CUSP) conceptual framework.

Conclusion: This foundational work offers a common thread-a shared sense of what social prescribing is, which may be woven into social prescribing research, policy and practice to foster common understanding of this concept.

Keywords: PREVENTIVE MEDICINE; PUBLIC HEALTH; SOCIAL MEDICINE.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Delphi study flow chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Countries represented by the expert panel: (1) Asia: China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan; (2) Europe: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden and Wales; (3) North America: Canada and the USA; (4) Oceania: Australia and New Zealand; and (5) South America: Brazil and Ecuador.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Common Understanding of Social Prescribing (CUSP) conceptual framework.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Morse DF, Sandhu S, Mulligan K, et al. . Global developments in social prescribing. BMJ Glob Health 2022;7:e008524. 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-008524 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
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    1. About . Social Prescribing Network. Available: https://www.socialprescribingnetwork.com/about [Accessed 22 Apr 2022].
    1. The Social Prescribing Youth Network (SPYN) . Social Prescribing Network. Available: https://www.socialprescribingnetwork.com/groups-networks/special-interes... [Accessed 12 Oct 2022].

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