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Social Prescribing: From Theory to Real Life

ThursdayJuly 2nd5:10 - 6:10223 M

Ferdinando PandRAZZUOLI

In recent years, social prescribing has gained increasing attention as a practical way to address factors that shape health outside the health care, such as loneliness, financial hardship, limited social networks, and the daily challenges of living with multiple illnesses.  However, the growing interest is not directly proportional to the growth of social prescribing, nor is its spread across Europe. Many clinicians are unsure where to start, what models are available, or how strong the evidence is. This workshop is designed to help practitioners move from broad ideas to workable solutions.The workshop aims to give participants: A clear understanding of the main concepts and theoretical underpinnings of social prescribing.<br> An overview of current evidence, including benefits and the challenges of evaluating outcomes.<br> Practical strategies for building social prescribing into routine practice.Introduction (10 min): Framing social prescribing within primary care and population health. Evidence and models (10 min): Brief overview of definitions, theoretical underpinnings, and standard delivery models. Case-based group work (25 min): Participants work in small groups on patient scenarios to design social prescribing pathways in their context. Plenary debrief (10 min): Sharing examples, barriers, and facilitators identified during group work. Action planning and wrap-up (5 min): Participants outline one or two concrete next steps to advance social prescribing at home.Participants will gain a clearer conceptual understanding of social prescribing and how it fits within holistic, person-centred primary care. They will leave with practical ideas, simple tools, and draft local pathways that can be further developed with colleagues and community partners. The workshop aims to strengthen participants’ confidence in initiating or scaling up social prescribing initiatives in their own health systems.Social prescribing offers a concrete way to translate the rhetoric of holistic, community-oriented primary care into everyday practice. By connecting patients with meaningful social and community resources, clinicians can address root causes of poor health and support more sustainable care. This workshop seeks to move social prescribing from theory to real life by equipping participants with knowledge, inspiration, and practical starting points for action.