The Role of Social Determinants of Health and Social Prescribing in Outpatient Treatment: Perspectives of Medical Students

Background. Social prescribing has emerged as a holistic approach that refers patients to non-clinical community resources to address social needs affecting health. This study aimed to assess the perspectives of final-year medical students at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences regarding social determinants of health and the potential role of social prescribing in outpatient care. Methods. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 among all final-year medical interns at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences using census sampling. Although the calculated minimum sample size was 112, a total of 115 students participated in the study. Data were collected using an online questionnaire designed via Google Forms. The responses were recorded electronically and exported to Excel. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26. Frequencies and percentages were reported for qualitative variables, and means with standard deviations were used for quantitative variables after confirming normal distribution. Results. Most interns believed that 20–40% of physical health patients and 40–60% of mental health patients faced challenges related to social determinants of health. The most common issues were poor living conditions, severe social stress, and inability to afford basic needs such as food. Over one-third of the students perceived social prescribing as more effective than conventional medical treatments for a portion of patients. Similarly, about one-third believed it could significantly improve disease prognosis. The majority of respondents indicated that they would adopt social prescribing in clinical practice if it were formally supported. Conclusion. The findings suggest that many outpatient health issues, especially among mental health patients, are affected by social determinants such as poor living conditions and social stress. Students viewed social prescribing as a potentially more effective approach than conventional treatments. Incorporating related education into the medical curriculum and developing supportive national guidelines are recommended to facilitate the future use of this method by physicians.