SHINE - social prescribing for adults and the elderly: the path to effective implementation. A study protocol

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Healthcare Implementation Science
• Social Determinants of Health

Background:

• Social prescribing connects healthcare with community resources to address social determinants of health like loneliness.
• Denmark has underdeveloped social prescribing, necessitating systematic implementation models.
• The Vesterbro-Sydhavnen project pioneers a general practice-embedded social prescribing model in Denmark's tax-funded system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of a novel social prescribing model in Denmark.
• To reduce loneliness and enhance well-being among socially vulnerable adults.
• To investigate the integration of link workers within primary care pathways.

Main Methods:

• A Hybrid Type II effectiveness-implementation design using mixed methods.
• Quantitative quasi-experimental study assessing healthcare use and patient-reported outcomes (loneliness, quality of life) in 350 individuals.
• Qualitative methods including ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and realist evaluation to explore implementation.

Main Results:

• The study is ongoing, with effectiveness assessment registered prospectively.
• The Hybrid Type II design allows simultaneous evaluation of clinical and implementation outcomes.
• Focus on link worker roles, intersectoral collaboration, and organizational readiness.

Conclusions:

• This research addresses a critical gap in implementing complex, socially embedded interventions in primary care.
• Findings will inform the scale-up of social prescribing in Denmark.
• Provides transferable insights for implementing person-centred, equity-oriented interventions in diverse healthcare systems.