Pictured above: Family physician Dr. Shaun MacCormick

When you think of a typical appointment at the doctor’s office, what comes to mind? Maybe a stethoscope or the blood pressure cuff. Most likely a health-care provider or two asking you what’s wrong.

At the Dr. Kingston Memorial Community Health Centre in L’Ardoise, a fishing village in Richmond County on Cape Breton’s sparsely populated southern coast, that query is often flipped. Instead of asking what’s the matter with a patient, the centre’s care team asks what matters to the patient.

And then they listen – deeply.

“One of my jobs is to listen to the patient’s narrative and then join that with my medical knowledge and skills,” says Dr. Shaun MacCormick, one of two family physicians at the centre. “Listening to the patient’s story is vital.”

Taking the time to understand a patient’s situation and learning what matters to them is part of an emerging approach in health care called social prescribing. It uses the familiar and trusted process of writing a prescription for things that can’t be treated by medicine alone. Social prescribing connects patients to things that can have a positive effect on their health and wellbeing.

“Evidence shows that if you prescribe it, people are most likely to do it,” explains Dr. MacCormick.

Across Canada, social prescribing might look like helping patients access passes to a national park, tickets to an arts performance or membership to a recreation centre. It could include support to find the right volunteering opportunities, and it often prioritizes social connection.

At the Dr. Kingston Memorial Community Health Centre, the process often begins with Ashley MacDonald, the family practice nurse.

“She does a comprehensive assessment of a patient’s physical and social needs,” Dr. MacCormick says. “Then she and I collaborate on the medical and nursing side of things, but also on community-facing activities.”

Social prescribing goes beyond simply advising patients to try out an activity or to sign up for a workshop. Staff work together to help patients access local, non-clinical services that support their unique interests, goals and needs. Rachael Leblanc, the centre’s senior safety and social inclusion coordinator, plays another key role in the process.

“She’s a lifeline to many of our seniors – she helps them apply for provincial and federal benefits and programs and helps them get in touch with and coordinate home care,” says Dr. MacCormick. “She also leads the centre’s Memory Café, which is a low-stimulation social space for people living with dementia, caregivers and family members to connect.”

The collaborative support from the entire family practice team – including its dietician, social worker and community engagement manager – contribute to the positive impact that social prescribing has had on the community.

And the community itself plays a role. While some of the prescriptions are for programs and services offered at the Dr. Kingston Memorial Community Health Centre, many rely on the support of volunteer organizations and individuals across the county.

“We don’t have a leader on this team,” says Dr. MacCormick, “but the team is made up of leaders.”

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