Implementing social prescribing in dentistry: perspectives from community organisations

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Oral Health
• Community Engagement

Background:

• Social prescribing connects patients with community resources to improve health and wellbeing.
• Integrating social prescribing into dentistry requires understanding community organizations' perspectives.
• Oral health is intrinsically linked to social determinants that community organizations can address.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore community organizations' perceptions of social prescribing.
• To assess their views on partnering with dental professionals for social prescribing initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study conducted in Montreal, Canada.
• 12 semi-structured interviews with key informants from community organizations.
• Thematic analysis of transcribed interview data.

Main Results:

• Community organizations view social prescribing as relevant to dentistry, acknowledging the link between oral health and social issues.
• Concerns were raised regarding dentists' preparedness, including perceived lack of empathy and time, and potential patient distrust.
• Financial insecurity of community organizations poses a barrier to effectively serving referred patients.

Conclusions:

• Community organizations are willing to collaborate with dentists on social prescribing.
• Enhanced financial support is crucial for community organizations to meet increased service demands.
• Addressing dentists' readiness and patient-dentist relationship dynamics is essential for successful implementation.