Researchers are looking for a Patient/Public Partner to co-design a social prescribing plan for Nova Scotia to improve health and well-being. This plan will be shaped by the community and designed to meet their needs.
The Patient/Public Partner will be invited to participate in the co-design process and will be given a range of ways to participate including virtually, over the phone, over email, and in-person. The partner will be speak with researchers, other patient partners, healthcare organizations, healthcare professionals, and public health representatives. Topics to be discussed will include designing social determinant of health screening questions for healthcare organizations, referral processes, and what we should measure to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy. The Patient/Public Partner will also have the opportunity to be involved in the preparation of any publications or grant applications that come out of this project.
Eligibility:
- Have experience as a patient or a caregiver in the healthcare system, and
- Have experiences with one or more social determinant of health challenges. These may include financial, housing, unemployment, or food security challenges, challenges accessing education, experiences of racism, homophobia, or transphobia, or experiences with social isolation or lack of social support.
- Must be 18+
- Live in Nova Scotia
Time commitment:
Expected to start March/April 2025 and will run until March 2027.
Study Background:
Social determinants of health (SDHs) are important social factors that affect health and include social isolation, housing, and food security. Social prescribing, the act of prescribing community and social services to address SDH challenges, may be an effective and equitable way to improve health and well-being. Social prescription interventions have demonstrated significant benefits including improved health status, well-being, and healthier behaviours, especially for vulnerable populations. While the popularity of social prescribing is quickly growing in Nova Scotia and Canada, it is not routine practice in many healthcare institutions across Nova Scotia and there is a significant lack of research on the health impact of social prescribing. The purpose of this project is to co-design a community-informed social prescribing approach that supports the needs of the community and investigates the impact of social prescribing on the health and well-being of Nova Scotians. This will be done using a combination of community engagement activities, semi-structured interviews, and an iterative quality improvement co-design approach that centres the voices of people with lived experience. The approach that is designed from this project will inform the implementation of an approach across the province.