The Rexdale Community Health Centre in Etobicoke, Ont. tested the program with about 500 participants last summer, giving doctors the option to prescribe "social prescriptions", or activities that promote social connections and strengthen community bonds. The program’s run by the Alliance for Healthier Communities (AHC) and the Royal Ontario Museum has offered free admission to those who get a referral from a healthcare provider, community professional or social worker. Twenty additional centres will be involved with the program when it begins its rollout in January. It aims to help 5,000 people and their families in 2019. The AHC says social prescriptions in the U.K. are freeing up clinicians by letting them refer patients to community support workers, thus reducing wait times and cutting down on ER visits.
Related:
Social prescribing: Your doctor's office is a new gateway to community wellbeing - Alliance for Healthier Communities
La prescription sociale : Le bureau de votre professionnel de la santé est une nouvelle passerelle vers le bien-être communautaire - Alliance pour des communautés en santé