[Webinar Recording] Primary Care Perspectives on Social Prescribing

United Way BC and the Canadian Alliance for Social Connection and Health are thrilled to introduce "Conversations on Social Prescribing," a four-part webinar series dedicated to advancing Social Prescribing in British Columbia. Designed for community-based seniors’ services, healthcare professionals, policy makers, and community organizers, each session will offer valuable insights, real-world case studies, and practical strategies to enhance client care and community well-being.

The third webinar in this series, Primary Care Perspectives on Social Prescribing, took place on May 23rd, 2025. Dr. Daniel Gan presented his research on how older adults' comfort with primary care discussions and beliefs about social prescribing can affect their wellbeing. Dr. Adam Hoverman shared his experience as a family physician using group medical visits as an innovative model for social prescribing.

Additional guest speaker: Gloria Harding, Indigenous Relations Manager, Nanaimo Division of Family Practice

Moderator: Dr. Kiffer Card

***Please scroll down the page to watch recording and to download presentation slides.***

Additional materials shared during the presentation:

Dr. Daniel Gan's analysis is based on data from this survey Social Prescribing Needs of Older Adults in Canada: https://bc.healthyagingcore.ca/resources/report-social-prescribing-needs-of-older-adults-in-canada

Dr. Daniel Gan's Research: http://tiny.cc/3w1i001

2009 CBC Massey Lectures- "The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World" 

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/audio/1.1464949

Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS medicine, 7(7), e1000316

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20668659/

Prost, A., Colbourn, T., Seward, N., Azad, K., Coomarasamy, A., Copas, A., ... & Costello, A. (2013). Women's groups practising participatory learning and action to improve maternal and newborn health in low-resource settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet, 381(9879), 1736-1746.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23683640/

Wadsworth, K. H., Archibald, T. G., Payne, A. E., Cleary, A. K., Haney, B. L., & Hoverman, A. S. (2019). Shared medical appointments and patient-centered experience: a mixed-methods systematic review. BMC Family Practice, 20, 1-13.

https://bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-019-0972-1

Nova Scotia Health's Group Medical Visit guidance page:

https://physicians.nshealth.ca/topics/primary-health-care/supporting-patients-manage-chronic-conditions/group-medical-visits

Hawai'i Department of Health Social Determinants of Health report (2011):

https://health.hawaii.gov/chronic-disease/files/2013/12/CD_BurdenReport_FINAL.pdf

Lucas, B. (2016). Getting the improvement habit. BMJ Quality & Safety, 25(6), 400-403.

https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/25/6/400

https://www.health.org.uk/reports-and-analysis/reports/the-habits-of-an-improver

Batalden, M., Batalden, P., Margolis, P., Seid, M., Armstrong, G., Opipari-Arrigan, L., & Hartung, H. (2016). Coproduction of healthcare service. BMJ quality & safety, 25(7), 509-517

https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/25/7/509

Elwyn, G., Nelson, E., Hager, A., & Price, A. (2020). Coproduction: when users define quality. BMJ quality & safety, 29(9), 711-716

https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/29/9/711