Occupational Therapists as Social Prescribers: Insights from Swedish Primary Care.
Emilia W E Viklund, Frida Degerstedt, Frida Jonsson and 2 others
Ten Swedish OTs say social prescribing for lonely older adults fits their assessment skills well, but finding local activities, getting time in primary care, and addressing participation barriers are the real bottlenecks.
The model needs a dedicated coordinator for the activity landscape.
Key findings
1Occupational therapists perceive the social prescribing model as well aligned with their core competencies, particularly their ability to assess individual needs and consider the activity, the person, and the environment together when tailoring a prescription.
2Finding and keeping track of available local social activities was the most consistently reported practical barrier, especially in rural areas where options were scarce; informants recommended a dedicated coordinator to maintain an up-to-date activity list so OTs could focus on the individual assessment.
3Informants stressed that a prescription naming a social activity is not enough; it must also include strategies to remove barriers to participation (transport, anxiety, social phobia), but they cautioned that the role must stay within a manageable scope or the prescriber will be overwhelmed.
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What it does not show
All 10 informants were female, which may limit the range of perspectives captured. Most informants had limited experience with the social prescribing model at the time of interview, so their views may shift as they gain familiarity. The study captures one country's model (Sweden) and one specific implementation (SPiS); transferability to other health systems is uncertain. No outcome data are reported on whether loneliness was actually reduced in the patients these OTs prescribed for; the study is about the prescribers' experience, not the patients' outcomes. Digital interviews may have limited the depth of interaction compared with in-person conversations. Social-desirability bias is possible: informants were interviewed by a researcher from the same project they were participating in.
Declared interests
Funded by Umeå University. No industry funding, no author disclosures of competing interests, and no statement that a sponsor designed the study or wrote the manuscript.
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