Social Prescribing to promote and improve access to health and care services for people in vulnerable situations in Europe

The overall objective of SP-EU is to assess the potential of SP to promote and improve access to health and care services for people in vulnerable situations, focusing on three primary target groups: LGBTIQ persons, refugees and first-generation immigrants and older adults living alone. SP-EU follows a mixed-methods approach: SP adaptations will be co-created with the target groups, to adapt them to their specific needs and social contexts. A pragmatic randomized controlled trial will assess the effectiveness of the adapted SP to improve access by randomizing 1,776 patients in eight EU countries to receive SP or care as usual.

A qualitative analysis in five European countries will explore enabling and limiting factors to the implementation of SP from different stakeholders’ perspectives. Additionally, we will communicate and disseminate results and translate them into policy action. SP-EU will enable health care systems to implement SP as a scalable, safe, cost-effective and people-centred solution to provide equal access to sustainable care. Thus, SP-EU will enable the transformation of European health care systems to equitable, community-based, people-centred and integrated health care.

SP-EU will contribute to the Key Strategic Orientation D in Horizon Europe’s Strategic Plan 2021-2024, creating a more resilient, inclusive and democratic European society by addressing inequalities and providing high-quality health and social care. Thus, SP-EU contributes to the impact area of “good health and high-quality accessible healthcare” in this Key Strategic Orientation.

Social Prescribing strengthens the community orientation and health-promoting aspects of health care, mitigating the effects of social determinants of health and reducing the need for treatment, thereby improving the sustainability of health services. SP-EU will contribute to the expected impact No. 4, ensuring access to innovative, sustainable and high-quality health care of cluster health.