[Using Social Prescribing to Practice Social Responsibility: A Case Study in the Taipei Medical University System].

Abstract

The Ministry of Education launched the University Social Responsibility (USR) Program in 2018. Since then, universities have actively promoted inter-disciplinary cooperation and implemented high-end knowledge to meet community needs. Universities are using social responsibility to enhance the level of social participation engaged in by their students to achieve the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. The aim of this paper was to share the experience of the Taipei Medical University (TMU) system in practicing social responsibility by integrating TMU resources with those of TMU-affiliated hospitals. The USR program at Taipei Medical University promotes the reform of school governance through encouraging university faculties to collaborate with hospital physicians to develop a specific curriculum that implements an innovative social-prescribing model. This curriculum is designed to provide opportunities for students to step out the classroom and into the community. Through clinical observations, home visits, and community service, students gain a deep understanding of community health issues from residents in the surrounding neighborhoods. Medical humanities education is achieved through students' involvement in both patient individual care and community health issues. In addition, faculties guide students in reflective learning from holistic healthcare perspectives. Students are encouraged to use evidence-based methods to develop innovative models of care in the community. Medical staff participation in this program helps ensure that social prescribing to community residents accurately reflects professional assessments. These prescriptions refer patients to local health promotion units involved in community collaboration. The medical university students build a bridge between the medical system and the community to implement the goals of health education. The impact of social prescribing on the social determinants of health is known to be significantly greater than that of medicine prescriptions. The expected outcomes of this project are to reduce the health inequalities experienced by vulnerable groups in the community and to share Taiwan's experiences with the academic community worldwide.