Evaluating the Effectiveness of Rural Digital Social Prescribing in Korea: Protocol for a Cohort Study

Hocheol Lee; Sang Baek Koh; Heui Sug Jo; Tae Ho Lee; Hae Kweun Nam; Bo Zhao; Subeen Lim; Joo Aeh Lim; Ho Hee Lee; Yu Seong Hwang; Dong Hyun Kim

doi:10.2196/46371

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Rural Digital Social Prescribing in Korea: Protocol for a Cohort Study

JMIR Res Protoc. 2023 May 24:12:e46371. doi: 10.2196/46371.

Authors

Hocheol Lee^{1

2}, Sang Baek Koh³, Heui Sug Jo⁴, Tae Ho Lee⁵, Hae Kweun Nam³, Bo Zhao², Subeen Lim², Joo Aeh Lim², Ho Hee Lee³, Yu Seong Hwang⁴, Dong Hyun Kim⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Administration, Software Digital Healthcare Convergence College, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
² Yonsei Global Health Center, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Preventive Medicine, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Health Policy and Management, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.
⁵ Korea Industry Development Institute, Gangneung, Republic of Korea.
⁶ Department of Information Statistics, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea.

PMID: 37223972
PMCID: PMC10248773
DOI: 10.2196/46371

Abstract

Background: The UK National Health Service (NHS) has introduced a digital social prescribing (DSP) system to improve the mental health of the aging population. In Korea, an ongoing pilot social prescribing project has been implemented for older individuals in rural areas since 2019.

Objective: This research aims to develop a DSP program and to evaluate the effectiveness of the digital platform in rural areas of Korea.

Methods: This study was designed as a prospective cohort method for the development and effectiveness evaluation of rural DSP in Korea. The study divided participants into four groups. Group 1 will continuously implement the existing social prescribing program, group 2 implemented the existing social prescribing program but was switched to DSP in 2023, group 3 newly started the DSP, and the remaining group is the control. The research area of this study is Gangwon Province in Korea. The study is being conducted in Wonju, Chuncheon, and Gangneung. This study will use indicators to measure depression, anxiety, loneliness, cognitive function, and digital literacy. In the future, the interventions will implement the digital platform and the Music Story Telling program. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of DSP using difference-in-differences regression and cost-benefit analysis.

Results: This study was approved for funding from the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education in October 2022. The results of the data analysis are expected to be available in September 2023.

Conclusions: The platform will be spread to rural areas in Korea and will serve as the foundation for effectively managing the feelings of solitude and depression among older individuals. This study will provide vital evidence for disseminating DSP in Asian countries such as Japan, China, Singapore, and Taiwan as well as for studying DSP in Korea.

International registered report identifier (irrid): PRR1-10.2196/46371.

Keywords: community health; digital health; digital health intervention; digital social prescribing; elderly health.

©Hocheol Lee, Sang Baek Koh, Heui Sug Jo, Tae Ho Lee, Hae Kweun Nam, Bo Zhao, Subeen Lim, Joo Aeh Lim, Ho Hee Lee, Yu Seong Hwang, Dong Hyun Kim. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 24.05.2023.