Social prescribing initiatives connecting general practice patients with community-based physical activity: A scoping review with expert interviews.

Abstract

Aims: The World Health Organization states that physical inactivity is one of the leading behavioural risk factors for disability and mortality in Europe. Social prescribing holds promise as a possible solution by connecting patients from general practice to community-based physical activity. Although research within social prescribing exists, the process of connecting general practice patients to community-based physical activity is not well investigated. This scoping review aimed to summarise and synthesise knowledge on social prescribing provided by health professionals in general practice towards community-based physical activity.

Methods: A systematic search for literature in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, SportsDiscus and other sources was conducted to identify initiatives connecting general practice to community-based physical activity. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with subject-specific national experts. Finally, preliminary findings from the literature and the interviews were used in a co-creation process with experts to synthesise and finalise the results of a thematic analysis across data sources.

Results: Based on 19 records, five expert interviews and subsequent co-creation, we identified three themes: (a) barriers and facilitators, (b) organisational perspectives and (c) value-based considerations.

Conclusions: This review illuminates the complex nature of social prescribing programmes that connect general practice patients to community-based physical activity in Denmark. It also presents practical and fundamental considerations when applying social prescribing across different settings.