With social prescription, art and volunteering can be medicine

Prescriptions for social activities, exercise and the arts – first popularized in Britain – are coming to America. But some experts say the U.S. health care system could stand in the way.

Last spring, Tia Washington, 52, a mother of three in Dublin, Calif., received a stern warning from her doctor: if she didn't quickly get her high blood pressure under control, she risked ending up in the emergency room.

He wrote a prescription for medication for high blood pressure and urged her to also see a health coach. Mrs. Washington reluctantly agreed.

“I didn’t want to die,” she said.

To his surprise, the health coach wanted to talk about more than vital signs. Ms. Washington found herself explaining how much she disliked doctors (and medications). How she tended to meet the needs of work or family before her own. How her job had created "tremendous stress."

Together, they decided that Ms. Washington would take two weekly movement classes, check in regularly with a nurse practitioner and would receive free fruits and vegetables from a government "food as medicine" program.

At the end of the conversation with the health coach, Ms. Washington said, the message was clear: "Tia, take care of yourself. You exist."

Ms. Washington's experience is just one example of how a practice called social prescribing is being explored in the United States, having been adopted in more than 20 other countries. The term "social prescribing" was first popularized in Britain after being practiced there in various forms for years. Although there is no universally accepted definition, social prescribing generally aims to improve health and well-being by involving people in non-clinical activities that address underlying problems, such. as isolation, social stress and lack of nutritious foods, which have been shown to play a crucial role in influencing who stays healthy and for how long.

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