ArticleBMJ open2021
Link workers providing social prescribing and health and social care coordination for people with multimorbidity in socially deprived areas (the LinkMM trial): protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Social prescribing outcomes: a mapping review of the evidence from 13 countries to identify key common outcomes.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Trial
- Harms and Negative or Unintended Consequences of Social Prescribing: A Scoping Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- A retrospective observational study of characteristics and outcomes of older patients referred to a hospital-based social prescribing programme.Frontiers in public health · 2026Observational
- An international and interdisciplinary framework for nature prescribing in healthcare: A modified Delphi study.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Influence of social determinants of health on quality of life in patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy.PloS one · 2024Observational
- Prospects and Aspirations for Workforce Training and Education in Social Prescribing.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Multimorbidity.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2022Review
- Global developments in social prescribing.BMJ global health · 2022Article
- Social prescribing for frequent attenders in primary care: An economic analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Living with a chronic disease: insights from patients with a low socioeconomic status.BMC family practice · 2021Article
- Article
- Care Navigation and Coordination Program on Reducing Hospital Use for Adults with Complex Health and Psychosocial Needs in South West Sydney, Australia.International journal of integrated careArticle
- Primary care-based link workers providing social prescribing to improve health and social care outcomes for people with multimorbidity in socially deprived areas (the LinkMM trial): Pilot study for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial.Journal of multimorbidity and comorbidityArticle
- Implementing a General Practice-Based Link Worker Intervention for People with Multimorbidity During the Covid-19 Pandemic- a Mixed Methods Process Evaluation of the LinkMM RCT.International journal of integrated careArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionLink workers are non-health or social care professionals based in primary care who support people to develop and achieve a personalised set of health and social goals by engaging with community resources. Link workers have been piloted in areas of deprivation, but there remains insufficient evidence to support their effectiveness. Multimorbidity is increasing in prevalence, but there are limited evidence-based interventions. This paper presents the protocol for a randomised controlled trial (RCT) that will test the effectiveness of link workers based in general practices in deprived areas in improving health outcomes for people with multimorbidity. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The protocol presents the proposed pragmatic RCT, involving 10 general practitioner (GP) practices and 600 patients. Eligible participants will be community dwelling adults with multimorbidity (≥two chronic conditions) identified as being suitable for referral to a practice-based link worker. Following baseline data collection, the patients will be randomised into intervention group that will meet the link worker over a1-month period, or a 'wait list' control that will receive usual GP care. Primary outcomes are health-related quality of life as assessed by EQ-5D-5L and mental health assessed by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Secondary outcomes are based on the core outcome set for multimorbidity. Data will be collected at baseline and on intervention completion at 1 month using questionnaires self-completed by participants and GP records. Parallel process and economic analyses will be conducted to explore participants' experiences and examine cost-effectiveness of the link worker intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been granted by the Irish College of General Practitioners Ethics Committee. The findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN10287737;Pre-results.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.