Trial Review

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Trial registered on ANZCTR


Registration number
ACTRN12625000664448
Ethics application status
Approved
Date submitted
8/05/2025
Date registered
23/06/2025
Date last updated
23/06/2025
Date data sharing statement initially provided
23/06/2025
Type of registration
Prospectively registered

Titles & IDs
Public title
Prescriptions for Connection-A Social Prescribing Approach to Healthy Ageing in Adelaide's North
Scientific title
Prescriptions for Connection-Social Prescribing for older people in Australia: Protocol for a Pilot and Feasibility Study
Secondary ID [1] 314409 0
Nil known
Universal Trial Number (UTN)
Trial acronym
Linked study record

Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
Quality of Life 337418 0
Social wellbeing 337419 0
Loneliness 337420 0
Condition category
Condition code
Public Health 333798 333798 0 0
Health service research
Mental Health 334121 334121 0 0
Studies of normal psychology, cognitive function and behaviour

Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
Description of intervention(s) / exposure
This research project will implement a social prescribing program titled ‘Prescription for Connection,’ which will be co-designed with input from general practitioners (GPs), health professionals, and older adults.

In the co-design phase, two workshops will be held to inform the development of processes and resources needed for successful implementation.

· Workshop 1: approximately n = 15 primary care and social care professionals, including general practitioners, practice nurses, practice managers, general practice facilitators, and local council representatives involved in existing social programs.

· Workshop 2: approximately n = 15 older people, aged 60+ years and residing in the participating council areas of Port Adelaide Enfield, Town of Walkerville, and Prospect.

Workshops will be audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed to identify core components of the program. The outcome will be a co-designed model for Prescriptions for Connection, which will then be refined by the project team for feasibility prior to implementation and evaluation.

Community Connector Volunteers:

The program will pilot a volunteer-led model for social prescribing, coordinated by Port Adelaide Enfield council. Council staff will recruit Community Connector volunteers and train them on the social prescribing purpose, model, processes, goal setting, peer support, and mental first aid. This training will occur prior to recruitment of older adult participants, to ensure that volunteers are equipped to safely and confidently navigate challenging interactions.

A directory of local social activities and services will be developed to help Community Connectors guide older people to appropriate community supports. Community Connectors will also be provided with a workbook and resources developed by council staff to guide their social interactions with older people throughout the program.

Weekly learning circles, facilitated by council staff, will provide ongoing development opportunities and peer support for volunteers throughout the program.

General Practices

Up to six general practices will participate by identifying and referring older adults experiencing social isolation and loneliness. Researchers will provide education sessions to practice staff outlining the program’s objectives, how to identify eligible patients, and referral procedures and methods for receiving feedback on patient outcomes. Each practice will receive a booklet summarising this key information and the referral form will be embedded in practice software.

Program Delivery


Older adults referred to the program and consenting to partake in the research project will be connected with volunteer Community Connectors in their Local Councils. The Community Connectors will facilitate a personalised process involving up to six meetings scheduled according to the participant’s availability and preference, e.g., at council offices and/or public locations such as libraries and cafés. These meetings will aim to build rapport and assess each participant’s interests and needs, enabling individualised goalsetting and informed linkages with community groups and activities to support their social integration. Activities may include gentle group exercise sessions like Tai Chi and yoga, hobby-based classes (e.g., craft groups), or other locally available social opportunities. As the intervention is tailored, the frequency and type of social engagement will vary based on individual preferences and needs.

On completion of the social prescribing program, the Community Connectors will provide a brief summary about types of services provided to the older person to social prescribing council staff, which will then be sent to the referring general practice.
Intervention code [1] 331016 0
Treatment: Other
Comparator / control treatment
No control group
Control group
Uncontrolled

Outcomes
Primary outcome [1] 341380 0
Feasibility
Timepoint [1] 341380 0
Post intervention completion
Primary outcome [2] 341381 0
Quality of Life
Timepoint [2] 341381 0
Commencement of the social prescribing program (baseline), 3 and 6 months post baseline assessment completion
Primary outcome [3] 341778 0
Quality of Life
Timepoint [3] 341778 0
Commencement of the social prescribing program (baseline), 3 and 6 months post baseline assessment completion
Secondary outcome [1] 447363 0
Mental Wellbeing
Timepoint [1] 447363 0
Commencement of the social prescribing program (baseline), 3 and 6 months post baseline assessment completion
Secondary outcome [2] 447364 0
Loneliness
Timepoint [2] 447364 0
Commencement of the social prescribing program (baseline), 3 and 6 months from baseline assessment completion
Secondary outcome [3] 448638 0
Barriers and facilitators to implementation. This will be assessed as a composite outcome.
Timepoint [3] 448638 0
Post implementation

Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
- Older people aged 60 years and above
- Living within Port Adelaide Enfield, Walkerville or Prospect council regions in Adelaide
- Experiencing a need for social activity
- Interested, willing and able to participate in a social prescribing program through volunteer community connection.
Minimum age
60 Years
Maximum age
No limit
Sex
Both males and females
Can healthy volunteers participate?
Yes
Key exclusion criteria
- Older people who do not consent to participation.
- Older people with cognitive, behavioural or acute medical concerns that may impact on participating in the social prescribing program (as identified by referring health professional).

Study design
Purpose of the study
Treatment
Allocation to intervention
Non-randomised trial
Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
Masking / blinding
Open (masking not used)
Who is / are masked / blinded?



Intervention assignment
Other
Other design features
Phase
Not Applicable
Type of endpoint/s
Statistical methods / analysis

Recruitment
Recruitment status
Not yet recruiting
Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
27/06/2025
Actual
Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
Date of last data collection
Anticipated
Actual
Sample size
Target
200
Accrual to date
Final
Recruitment in Australia
Recruitment state(s)
SA

Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1] 318930 0
Charities/Societies/Foundations
Name [1] 318930 0
Northern Community Health and Research Foundation
Country [1] 318930 0
Australia
Funding source category [2] 318931 0
Charities/Societies/Foundations
Name [2] 318931 0
Hospital Research Foundation
Country [2] 318931 0
Australia
Primary sponsor type
University
Name
Flinders University
Address
Country
Australia
Secondary sponsor category [1] 321400 0
Other
Name [1] 321400 0
Adelaide Primary Health Network
Address [1] 321400 0
Country [1] 321400 0
Australia

Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Approved
Ethics committee name [1] 317544 0
Flinders University Human Research Ethics Committee
Ethics committee address [1] 317544 0
Ethics committee country [1] 317544 0
Australia
Date submitted for ethics approval [1] 317544 0
01/02/2024
Approval date [1] 317544 0
03/05/2024
Ethics approval number [1] 317544 0

Summary
Brief summary
Trial website
Trial related presentations / publications
Public notes

Contacts
Principal investigator
Name 141386 0
Prof Stacey George
Address 141386 0
Address: Sports Rd, Health and Medical Research Building Flinders University Bedford Park, SA 5041
Country 141386 0
Australia
Phone 141386 0
+61 0473 845 999
Fax 141386 0
Email 141386 0
[email protected]
Contact person for public queries
Name 141387 0
Dr Heather Block
Address 141387 0
Sports Rd, Health and Medical Research Building Flinders University Bedford Park, SA 5041
Country 141387 0
Australia
Phone 141387 0
+61 473 845 999
Fax 141387 0
Email 141387 0
[email protected]
Contact person for scientific queries
Name 141388 0
Stacey George
Address 141388 0
Sports Rd, Health and Medical Research Building Flinders University Bedford Park, SA 5041
Country 141388 0
Australia
Phone 141388 0
+61 8 72218287
Fax 141388 0
Email 141388 0
[email protected]

Data sharing statement
Will the study consider sharing individual participant data?
No


What supporting documents are/will be available?

No Supporting Document Provided


Results publications and other study-related documents

Documents added manually
No documents have been uploaded by study researchers.

Documents added automatically
No additional documents have been identified.