Social prescribing: a tool for primary care
Langue: English

Introduction: In October 2023, the Centre for Effective Practice (CEP) launched a new web-based tool: Social Prescribing: A Resource for Health Professionals. The social prescribing model in primary care aims to address the social determinants of health that can impact an individual’s well-being. Description: While undertaking the scoping work, the content development team discovered that there was limited evidence on the impact and processes of social prescribing in primary care practices across Canada. Instead of relying on evidence, which is typically how CEP tools are developed, the team had to pivot and develop partnerships with leaders in the social prescribing community in Ontario and across Canada, as well as with lived experience experts. Outcomes: As of January 2024, there have been over 2,800 downloads of the tool. The CEP team presented the tool at a social prescribing conference in October 2023, and is planning future tools in partnership with external stakeholders including the Alliance for Healthier Communities, the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing, and others. Discussion: CEP’s tool is the first of its kind to deliver practical social prescribing tips for primary care clinicians. The tool is applicable in a wide variety of primary care settings across Ontario and can easily be adapted to fit the specific needs of clinicians in all types of practices. While working on the tool, the CEP team benefited greatly from partnerships with key stakeholders in the social prescribing community, paving the way for even more opportunities to create other digital tools in the future.

L'image de profil de l'intervenant
Taylor Moore

Taylor Moore is an Information Coordinator as part of the CEP’s Information Services team and supports the development of evidence-grounded content for the organization’s knowledge translation projects. Her expertise in literature searching and strong attention to detail strengthens the CEP’s primary care clinical education tools that support high-quality care delivery.

A librarian with a background in health sciences research, Taylor is an ongoing contributor to the COVID-19 Resource Centre and other CEP clinical tools and resources including the Evidence2Practice Ontario program. Prior to joining the CEP in 2022, she was an Information Specialist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Taylor holds a Master of Information from the University of Toronto.