Ways to Wellness effectiveness study V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Effectiveness of Ways to Wellness, a community based social prescribing intervention, on people aged 40 to 74 years with type 2 diabetes, living in an ethnically diverse socio-economically deprived urban area, using natural experimental methods and routinely collected data to assess change differences in measures of health status and health behaviours between intervention recipients and three control groups, with analysis of costs and benefits.
IRAS ID
238970
Contact name
Suzanne Moffatt
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z5470161, ICO registration number; EE133852-HSCD-score 66%, ODS code and score
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, days
Research summary
Ways to Wellness social prescribing service for people with type 2 diabetes.\nThe number of people in the UK with type 2 diabetes is expected to rise to six million by 2035 with NHS treatment costs of about £17 billion. Poor diabetes control increases complications such as eye, kidney, limb and heart disease. Social prescribing supports people with long-term conditions, like type 2 diabetes, to adopt healthier behaviours, improve their condition management and reduce NHS costs. \nWe plan to evaluate the effectiveness, for people with type 2 diabetes, of a community based social prescribing service called ‘Ways to Wellness’. Patients with type 2 diabetes, who may also have other long-term conditions, are referred by their Doctors (GPs) to Ways to Wellness. People who join the service are assigned to a trained link worker, who helps each client to plan positive behaviour changes and provides information about other community services, such as walking groups, welfare rights or employment advice, and supports people to attend these services. \nWays to Wellness social prescribing service is available to patients aged 40 to 74 years with certain long term health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, who are registered with a GP practice that refers to the service. Ways to Wellness is delivered by not-for-profit organisations in an urban area of high socio-economic deprivation.\nWe will evaluate the effectiveness and value for money of Ways to Wellness social prescribing service for patients with type 2 diabetes using information from GP, health care and service user records. The research team will use study numbers to compare data records. Anonymised data from records of 1600 eligible patients will be compared in three ways: (i) from those in practices with and without the service; (ii) from those who do and don’t take up the service, and (iii) from those who joined the service at the beginning and those who joined later.\n
REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0631
Date of REC Opinion
4 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion