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.