The SPHERE model: Social Prescribing and Health Equity through Responsive Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Implementation Science
• Health Equity
• Public Policy Analysis

Background:

• Social prescribing connects individuals to non-clinical services addressing social determinants of health.
• Public policies governing access to these services are crucial but under-examined.
• Existing frameworks lack focus on policy as implementation infrastructure for social prescribing.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce the SPHERE model (Social Prescribing and Health Equity through Responsive Evaluation).
• Provide a framework for designing, implementing, and evaluating policies that enable social prescribing.
• Emphasize the role of public policy in advancing health equity through social prescribing.

Main Methods:

• Drawing from implementation science, evaluation theory, and health equity-centered design.
• Developing the eight-component SPHERE model.
• Illustrating the model with policy examples: Housing First, Medicaid reentry, and local food policy councils.

Main Results:

• The SPHERE model integrates policy as a critical driver for social prescribing systems.
• It offers a structured approach to ensure policies are implemented in community-responsive ways.
• The model supports adaptive and accountable policy delivery grounded in health equity principles.

Conclusions:

• Public policies are essential, actionable components of effective social prescribing.
• The SPHERE model facilitates the transformation of referral systems into health equity-driven platforms.
• Integrating SPHERE can lead to structural changes that improve health and advance health equity.