Spreadsheets VS Digital Social Prescribing Platform: The Best Choice

We will explain the key differences between spreadsheets and digital social prescribing platforms and the pros and cons for each. With Access Elemental’s help, after reading it you should feel much more confident about which option to use going forward and which one will be the best fit for your service. 

What is the difference between spreadsheets and digital social prescribing platforms? 

Both spreadsheets and digital social prescribing platforms offer ways to record, look at, and analyse the data from different clientele’s social prescribing journeys or to analyse the programme as a whole. 

What is a spreadsheet?

A spreadsheet is a relatively simple computer programme that allows you to record data in a tabular format, like a grid, in rows and columns. You can then use formulas and inbuilt tools to calculate, manipulate and analyse this data. The most popular digital spreadsheets are Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.  

Excel was developed by Microsoft in 1987. It provides plenty of flexibility in the type of data you want to input. Google Sheets is an online-only spreadsheet that was developed by Google in 2006. It allows many people to work on the same sheet simultaneously. Google Sheets is free to use, whereas you’ll need to buy a license to use Excel.  

Both are useful for social prescribing when recording data on a service and running simple analysis to understand what has been achieved such as the amount of referrals they receive, to wellness achievements and outcomes. However, the amount of data you can input is limited so if your service caters to a lot of clients with different needs it can get complex and labour intensive to keep everything up to date. 

What is a digital social prescribing platform? 

Digital social prescribing platforms offer tools to reduce intensive admin loads enabling Link Workers to spend more time with an individual. They help establish, develop, and scale the social prescribing model of care.   

The tools most common on social prescribing platforms often embed spreadsheets or databases to create bespoke dashboards to present their data, as well as incorporating data from inbuilt wellbeing measurement tools.  

Some of the most successful platforms use software that easily integrates with other clinical management systems such as Rio, EMIS Web and SystmOne, to create simple and easy referrals for GPs and health professionals in a matter of clicks.  

How beneficial are spreadsheets to social prescribers? 

Despite developments in technology, lots of social prescribing services use basic and simplistic methods and systems to record their information. For a lot of services pen and paper is still a popular method, with information being entered into spreadsheets later, and email directories used for communication. 

For smaller projects spreadsheets are an easy and effective way to measure and track achievements. Social prescribing is very different for different people, it provides help and support to people of all ages and backgrounds.  

These smaller projects are often run by volunteers and they may have different levels of IT literacy. Methods in managing data will need to take place to make sure everyone in the scheme knows how to use the spreadsheet fully and correctly. Testing methods makes the process of deciding what outcomes to measure a lot easier and using spreadsheets correctly can benefit social prescribers in many ways: 

1. Time efficient

Often the volunteers that help run services will be juggling full time jobs and their family life too and will not have the time to learn how to use a more advanced database or social prescribing platform.  

2. Simple

Only using spreadsheets in data handling and analysing means only a core set of basic IT skills are required allowing more time to be spent with individuals. 

3. Quick

For smaller projects identifying your Key Performances Indicators (KPIs) that all staff members know, understand, and use, makes tracking and identifying the service’s progress quicker and more efficient.  

4. Cost

Some spreadsheet software is free which is useful when funding for a social prescribing programme is very limited. 

What are the disadvantages of spreadsheets for social prescribers? 

• Data capacity: 

Spreadsheets have a limit on the amount of data that can be inputted and when it starts to reach that limit it can lag.  

• Data security: 

If a spreadsheet contains personal or sensitive information most spreadsheets do not have the level of security to protect the document. Other software will be required to protect it and these can be expensive.  

• Decision making  

The data in spreadsheets often is not decision ready and the data will often have to be inputted into other software for decisions to be made. For bigger social prescribing projects this can take up a lot of time.  

• Skills required 

Once you have recorded lots of data from your social prescribing programme, you will want to analyse it to uncover the patterns, trends, and connections that will give you a better understanding of what your programme is achieving for people and why.   

In order to do this using a spreadsheet you need to know how to use various formulas and the different functions/modules within the software.  

• Maintenance 

Spreadsheets can become very complicated when you start amassing lots of data or when you are using formulas to manipulate the data. As with many things in life, the more complexity, the greater chance something will break and be difficult to fix. This could mean data is lost, or time is spent figuring out what the problem was and fixing it.  

How beneficial are digital social prescribing platforms for social prescribers? 

Digital social prescribing platforms can provide intelligence to manage social prescribing services in one area and multiple different areas simultaneously.  

The different tools that can be offered to services can embed application programming interface (API) to help build on existing systems and help the uptake of security, integrations, and make lives easier for GPs, Link Workers and individuals. Some are also integrating with leading GP and Clinical systems to make referral pathways even easier and quicker to help alleviate pressure on the NHS.  

 

How do digital social prescribing platforms benefit individuals using social prescribing services? 

1. Promotes self-directed and person-centred care by allowing clients to co-create their own enriched personalised care pathways and track their own achievements 
   
   
2. Allows more efficient and easier to use referral processes which are managed quickly and safely by integrating with other systems making a referral process only a few clicks 
   
   
3. Encourages the use of self-referrals through online questionnaires as part of the consultation process to highlight what a client is struggling with 
   
   
4. Inbuilt wellbeing measurement tools allow surveys to be regularly filled in openly and honestly without individuals feeling forced to say positive things  
   
   
5. The introduction of digital apps allows clients to be signposted to anything they need help with whether it's exercise, social groups, or other activities that could help. 
   
   
6. The introduction of digital apps can allow integration to GP systems for users to have constantly updated information and be able to directly book appointments and order medication 
   
   
7. Can be integrated with wearable technology such as smart watches and digital apps to help individuals through their social prescribing journey by setting reminders or notifying clients when they have interventions, services or classes they need to attend 
   
   
8. Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots allows quick and simple support for enquiries online 
   
   
9. Data is collected automatically as the system is used rather than being entered manually
   
   
10. Data can be easily analysed and presented in a range of different inbuilt reports and dashboards. The social prescribing project can use these to identify risks, trends and results in, service uptake, service impact, community support needs and other metrics that are important to running and expanding a social prescribing project. 
    
    
11. Allows the data to be exported via excel allowing users to save on admin time when sharing data with commissioners or other external stakeholders. 

Many reports looking at the evidence for digital social prescribing and digital health have been conducted. The Healthy London Partnership report on supporting self-directed care using digital software showed that: 

• 52% of respondents felt less lonely and isolated 
  
  
• 62% felt happier as a result of more social contact  
  
  
• 59% felt more confident in using online tools to manage their health
  
  
• 41% learned how to access their health information online for the first time  
  
  

Many social prescribing services have found using digital platforms very useful for both an increase in demand as well as a more efficient way to manage social prescribing referrals better.

Healthy Options were able to establish and additional self-referral service called THRIVE which allowed individuals to self-refer themselves to social prescribing services that best met their needs. 

Care Merseyside found once partnering with Access Elemental Social Prescribing their number of referrals increased and the management of them was more efficient. Additional tools within the platform such as self-referrer tools reduced GP attendance and by being able to integrate with clinical systems, GP surgeries could text patients with links to social prescribing projects to make referrals even quicker.  

What are the disadvantages of digital social prescribing platforms? 

One of the biggest disadvantages of digital social prescribing platforms is that they can be counter-productive for some smaller social prescribing services. Some of the smaller services may not have the funding to use more complex software, nor the time to train both members of staff and volunteers in how to use it.  

Another key area for disadvantages is with the individuals themselves. Some may feel concerned about their privacy and confidentiality being leaked online and show reluctance to use the platform. Others sometimes are concerned about losing face-to-face consultations and see digital social prescribing as a replacement instead of an alternative option.  

Online directories available on council and voluntary websites can also cause their problems. Often these directories are one off productions making integrations to key systems and organisations fail as they become outdated quickly.  

Arguably the biggest asset but the biggest challenge of digital social prescribing platforms is connecting different systems within social prescribing interoperability systems. Interoperability is complex but provides a great opportunity to build and support social prescribing services, so individuals have access to the better facilities for a more positive social prescribing journey.  

Spreadsheets VS digital social prescribing platforms – the conclusion 

This article has evaluated the differences and pros and cons of both the use of spreadsheets and digital social prescribing platforms when managing a social prescribing service. Spreadsheets are a great way to record and track data for smaller projects who have both limited time and funding but there are issues surrounding data capacity and security.  

Spreadsheets will not enable your social prescribing programme to reach a larger number of people and generate more referrals. A digital social prescribing platform should, by making it easier for people to access and be referred to your programme. 

Spreadsheets can also become unfeasible as social prescribing programmes grow (in terms of both clients and volunteers/staff who use the spreadsheets) or become more complicated and varied in the services offered. 

Digital social prescribing platforms offer a variety of tools to best suit individual services and encourage client involvement. However, reluctance to share data online and fear of losing face-to-face consultations can make integrating information and systems within digital social prescribing platforms challenging.  

If you’re looking to show what your programme has achieved for individuals, communities or the wider health system then a digital social prescribing platform will have inbuilt tools for you to do so. Here at Access Elemental Social Prescribing, we know social prescribing works and we are passionate about helping you gather and analyse your data to prove it. This can be important in securing funding, expanding, or continuing your programme.  

With that in mind if you are interested, whether you are a smaller social prescribing project expanding, or wanting to engage in interoperability systems to ensure more positive social prescribing journeys, you can discover our digital social prescribing software and how our robust reporting software ensures tracking progress couldn’t be any easier.