Following up on my post yesterday about how an improv program for members of the NY City Police Department has resulted in better interactions with the public. There was an NPR story this week about doctors handing out social prescriptions to their patients as another way in which arts organizations can employ their expertise for the benefit of other industries.
I have covered these sort of programs before. They generally include passes to cultural activities, national/state parks, train & bus passes, exercise programs/gym, etc. The goal is to provide people with opportunities to relax, recharge, exercise, etc.
The NPR story reported that some insurance companies are beginning to recognize that it can be cheaper to cover programs that promote social connection, relaxation, and exercise vs. paying for medication and medical treatment.
Health care systems are increasingly recognizing that “it’s cheaper for them to cover 10 weeks of Zumba classes than it is to cover, for example, high blood pressure medication over the course of a lifetime, or GLP agonists over the course of a lifetime,” she adds.
A report on social prescribing in Canada found that for older adults, there was nearly $300 million cost saving from lower hospitalizations, emergency calls and visits to the ER due to fewer falls. Among youth, they found a 14% increase in lifetime earnings for youth ages 15-17 struggling with anxiety and depression.
I have mentioned that since the pandemic, arts and culture organizations have enjoyed a higher degree of trust than many other institutions in people’s lives. A story NPR links to about a $3 million gift that insurer Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey made to New Jersey Performing Arts Center to support an arts and wellness program noted that many communities of color get information from trusted arts and cultural organizations.
The integration of the arts into healthcare procedures and interventions can positively impact individual and community health outcomes. A recent study from Americans for the Arts about the engagement of communities of color in the arts indicates that BIPOC communities are more likely to seek news and information from trusted arts and culture providers in their community than other populations.
The NPR article provides a link to a site that tracks communities with social prescription programs. The map is much more sparsely populated than you would probably like to see which indicates a lot of opportunity.
