WIP 26 - Pediatrician Knowledge and Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators to Social Prescribing: A Qualitative, Exploratory Study

Publication Number: WIP 26.7418

Armaan Jaffer, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Ethan M. Fong, BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Shalaka Dixit, Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Matthew Carwana, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Background: Social prescribing (SP) is an intervention where patients are referred to non-medical and community-based supports to address the determinants that can influence health. These activities can be wide-ranging and multifaceted, including exercise, counselling, housing, and food security. However, while SP tools and implementation are robust in some settings, there is less evidence of its application to children and young people in North America. Studies have highlighted pediatric SP’s effectiveness in supporting young people’s overall health, but they did not systematically explore facilitators and barriers pediatricians face when engaging in SP. Consequently, a large provider know-do gap exists between the praxis and practice of SP. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) is an established, evidence-based implementation science approach to understanding barriers and facilitators to health practice changes. Using this existing framework to explore SP barriers and facilitators can ensure applicability and downstream provider uptake.

Objective: 1) Explore barriers and facilitators to pediatric SP among pediatric providers

Design/Methods: A qualitative research design based in principles of grounded theory was utilized to develop an interview guide aligned with key domains of the TDF. The project was approved by local Institutional Review Board. Pediatricians, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and pediatric neurologists from across British Columbia, Canada were invited to participate in the study via passive and purposive recruitment strategies. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom, with verbatim transcription completed. Interviews have been completed as of October 2024 and data analysis has begun. We are iteratively developing a robust codebook. Across-case and within-case strategies will be used to identify themes, and thematic analysis will occur via an iterative process. A final list of themes, supported by direct quotations, will be prepared. Data analysis will be complete by February 2025.