Exploring the need for a social prescribing pathway in an Australian paediatric allied healthcare intake service: a pilot feasibility and acceptability study

Background – The social determinants of health (SDH) drive child health inequities. Adverse SDH are experienced at an individual level as unmet social needs. In a paediatric Allied Healthcare system, these unmet social needs are barriers to service access. Evidence – Social prescribing offers a promising solution. However, this practice is not routinely implemented in Australia. Objective – To determine whether the Routine Identification of Unmet Social Needs to Unlock Potential (RISE UP) social prescribing model of care is needed, feasible, and acceptable within a paediatric Allied Healthcare intake context. Methods – A pilot study using mixed-methods approach to design, implement, and evaluate the RISE UP model of care. Results – Most parent/carers, 114 of 144 (79.2%), agreed to participate in RISE UP, with 74 of 114 (64.9%), reporting one or more unmet social needs. Childcare (n = 54, 47.4%) and employment (n = 52, 45.6%) were the most common needs. Multivariable analysis showed that each additional year of child age increased the risk of unmet needs by 7% [adjusted relative risk (RR) 1.07, 95% CI 1.03–1.10, p < 0.001], and families speaking only non-English at home had a 40% higher risk compared to English-only speakers (adjusted RR 1.40, 95% CI 1.01–1.94, p < 0.05). RISE UP was acceptable to parents/carers (97.2%). Staff reported mixed acceptability (55.8%) and feasibility (64.3%). Conclusion – Unmet social needs identification and referrals pathways in paediatric Allied Healthcare intake services are needed and acceptable to parents/carers. However, further action is required to overcome challenges in integrating these models within existing Allied Healthcare systems in Australia.