The effectiveness of social prescribing in the management of long-term conditions in community-based adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Declan J O'Sullivan, Lindsay M Bearne, Janas M Harrington and 2 others
PMID 38863236WHAT IT FOUND
Social prescribing did not significantly improve HbA1c levels in the pooled analysis.
However, some studies reported benefits for quality of life, physical activity, and diabetes-related distress. Most included trials had a high risk of bias and used varying outcome measures, limiting confidence in these positive findings.
Key findings
01A meta-analysis of four studies found a small, non-significant effect of social prescribing on HbA1c levels.
02Nine of the twelve included studies were judged to have a high risk of bias, with outcome measurement being the greatest concern.
03Some individual studies reported significant improvements in quality of life and diabetes-related distress, but results were inconsistent across the review.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Nine of the twelve studies had a high risk of bias, particularly in outcome measurement. The interventions and outcome measures were highly heterogeneous, making it difficult to compare studies or draw firm conclusions. Only English-language studies were included. The meta-analysis on HbA1c included only four of the twelve studies. Attrition rates were high across studies (9% to 29%).
Declared interests
No specific funding source or conflict of interest declaration is provided in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume social prescribing improves physiological outcomes like HbA1c. The pooled analysis showed a non-significant effect, and most individual studies had a high risk of bias.