Prospects for Social Prescribing in Italy: the workshop on the 26th of March 2026
Discuss strengths, challenges, and strategies to implement social prescribing in Italy. This is the aim of the workshop “Salute, territorio e cultura – Prospettive per la prescrizione sociale in Italia” (Health, Community and Culture – Prospects for Social Prescribing in Italy) organised on the 26th of March, 2026 by the National Group on Social Prescribing coordinated by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), during the Social Prescribing Day. Held in the stunning setting of the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, the event explored four central questions.
1. How can we build effective pathways?
The experiences shown ― museums as spaces devoted to wellbeing, the promotion of early reading, and interventions targeting young NEETs (not in employment, education or training) ― showed that a pathway works when it is settled within the local community, and when cultural, social and health services are able to interact. The need for shared tools is pivotal to make social prescribing a systematic component of each professional involved. The experience of the “Music and Motherhood” initiative – coordinated by the ISS – highlighted that replicability depends on co-design between several stakeholders, and the ability to customise interventions to the local context.
2. How to assess the impact?
International scientific studies have shown the significant, positive effects of social prescribing on mental health, social connections, and the reduction of inappropriate healthcare service use. However, the workshop highlighted that Italy still lacks structured systems to measure measuring processes and outcomes. There is a need for shared indicators, monitoring and data collection systems, and the competence to interpret results from an equity perspective. Who are we reaching? Who is being excluded? How can we bridge the gap between need and access, especially among the most vulnerable groups?
3. How can social prescription be integrated into the National Health Service?
An answer emerged from the debate on governance. Italy currently has an ideal infrastructure: the “Case della Comunità” (Community Health Centres), designed for a multi-professional, integrated, community-based model. Ministerial Decree 77/2022 provides a framework within which to incorporate social prescribing into ordinary prevention and care pathways. However, this requires an “clear and exact mandate”, enabling a shift from a project-based approach to a systemic one.
4. How should the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders involved be defined?
Three key words emerged from the roundtable discussion: equity, governance, and collaboration. The cultural sector emphasised the importance of making the most of resources already existing within the community - such as museums, libraries, and associations - that can become structural partners of the public health system. Healthcare representatives have highlighted the need to identify priorities, vulnerable groups, and sustainable solutions. The perspective of the Regions and the most advanced local initiatives suggests that an effective model should avoid excessive bureaucracy and allow customization and flexibility. Everyone agreed that social prescribing requires “shared leadership” and that every stakeholder - not just healthcare professionals - should feel responsible for the overall well-being of the subject involved.
Conclusions
Italy is ready for a qualitative leap forward: with its expertise, experience, its unique cultural heritage, and a strong desire for innovation. The challenge now is to translate all these ideas into systemic policies, by investing in governance, monitoring and training. Social prescribing is not a surplus, but a bridge between health, culture and community: the workshop has paved the way for this bridge to become a fundamental part of our public health system in the near future.