Table 2

GRADE summary of findings

Title: Effect of social prescribing link workers on health outcomes and costs for adults in primary care and community settings
Patients or population: community-dwelling adults
Settings: primary and community care
Intervention: social prescribing link workers
Comparison: usual care
Outcome Review finding Contributing studies (participants) Overall GRADE assessment
Health-related quality of lifeSocial prescribing link workers may have little or no impact on HRQoL2 RCTs (894)
US-based
2 CBAs (1292)
UK-based		⊕⊕⊖⊖
Low
(Low for RCTs*†‡, Low for CBAs)
Mental healthIt is unknown if social prescribing link workers improve mental health because the certainty of the evidence is very low1 RCT (152)
3 CBAs (1772)
All UK-based		⊕⊖⊖⊖
Very Low§
(Low for RCT*†, Very Low for CBAs¶*)
Social contacts and supportSocial prescribing link workers may lead to little or no difference in social contacts2 RCTs (714)
1 CBA (392)
All UK-based		⊕⊕⊖⊖
Low
(Low for RCTs*‡, Low for CBAs)
Physical function and activitiesIt is unknown if social prescribing link workers improve physical function and activity because the certainty of the evidence is very low2 RCTs (714)
2 CBAs (1380)
All UK-based		⊕⊖⊖⊖
Very Low
(Very Low for RCTs*†‡, Very Low for CBAs¶‡)
Self-rated healthSocial prescribing link workers may improve self-rated health2 RCTs (714)
1 CBA (480)
All UK-based		⊕⊕⊖⊖
Low
(Low for RCTs*†, Low for CBA†)
Healthcare utilisation: hospitalisationIt is unknown if social prescribing link workers reduce hospitalisations because the certainty of the evidence is very low3 RCTs (4053)
US-based		⊕⊖⊖⊖*†, Very Low
Healthcare utilisation: primary care visitsSocial prescribing link workers may have little or no impact on primary care visits3 RCTs (3873)
2 UK- and 1 US-based
1 CBA (480)
UK-based		⊕⊕⊖⊖
Low
(Low for RCTs*‡, Very Low for CBAs†)

  • RCTs and CBAs were assessed separately for each outcome. If there was limited RCT evidence, then an overall judgement was applied. In this case if there were inconsistencies in results between the two bodies of evidence this was downgraded by one level.

  • *Downgraded for indirectness.

  • †Downgraded for inconsistency.

  • ‡Downgraded for imprecision.

  • §Downgraded for overall inconsistency.

  • ¶Downgraded for risk of bias.

  • CBA, controlled before–after; HRQoL, health-related quality of life; RCT, randomised controlled trial.