Exploring understanding and experience of social prescribing in people with kidney disease – a mixed methods study protocol

Introduction
Social prescribing is an approach which links people to a range of activities and support services typically provided by local voluntary and community sectors to address non-medical or social determinants of health and wellbeing. Patients are referred, often by a GP or other healthcare professional, to a link worker, who work with the patient to co-produce a personalised care and support action plan, their own ‘social prescription’. Social prescribing has been identified as part of the NHS Long-Term Plan, enabling people to have more control over their own health, and is a key component of the NHS Universal Personalised Care Comprehensive Model. While it remains a new approach, early evidence has indicated that engaging with social prescribing programmes can improve self-esteem, confidence, mental wellbeing, and reduce anxiety and depression for patients with long-term mental and physical health conditions. This approach may have the potential to support the health and wellbeing of people living with kidney disease, who are impacted by a higher prevalence of anxiety, depression, and social isolation than the general population.
The aim of this study is to explore the understanding and experiences of social prescribing to support health and wellbeing in people with kidney disease throughout the UK. The objectives of the study are to:
• Identify current provision and implementation of social prescribing programmes for people living with kidney disease, and other long-term conditions.
• Identify the current knowledge and understanding of social prescribing for both people living with kidney disease, and healthcare professionals who provide care to people living with kidney disease.
• Explore the experience of social prescribing and need for holistic approaches to care, for people living with kidney disease, healthcare professionals, link workers, and organisations providing community-based activities.
• Develop a resource to support people with kidney disease to engage with social prescribing services and activities.
Methods
This study will adopt a sequential exploratory multi methods design consisting of four phases.
Phase 1 - Undertake a scoping review of research evidence and grey literature which reports on the provision and implementation of social prescribing programmes for adults living with long-term conditions.
Phase 2 - Conduct a UK-wide cross-sectional online survey with people living with kidney disease and healthcare professionals providing care to people with kidney disease, to identify current understanding and knowledge of social prescribing for this patient group.
Phase 3 - Conduct in-depth semi-structured interviews with people living with kidney disease, healthcare professionals providing care to people with kidney disease, link workers, and community organisations providing social prescribing activities.
Phase 4 - Develop a resource, informed by data collected in phase 1-3 and in collaboration with the study advisory group. This resource will aim to support engagement with social prescribing services and activities.
Results
The protocol for the ongoing study will be presented.