Canadian Doctors Prescribe Music and Nature

In Canada, some doctors are also prescribing access to nature in the form of passes to national parks. A Toronto doctor caused a stir a few years ago when she prescribed a patient 'a puppy of their choice, with two walks a day and lots of love.' 'So many wonderful things are happening across the country,' said Mulligan. Ideally, Mulligan said, prescribing a 'social prescription' involves an intermediary, usually a community health worker, whose job is to help the patient implement the prescription in a way that makes sense to them. And when it works, Mulligan asserts that the impacts of social prescribing are widespread. Her organization published a report last year that concluded social prescribing generates a return of $4.43 for every dollar invested, largely due to a reduction in hospital admissions, emergency room visits, and ambulance calls. The report also points out that these 'social prescriptions' improve the public's trust in the health care system. Although the program for prescribing attendance at the Montreal Symphony Orchestra concerts has just begun, Parent and La Couture stated that many doctors have already expressed interest, as have the orchestras in Toronto and the city of Quebec. They say they will be collecting data from the project while figuring out how to make it work. 'If a doctor prescribes going to a symphony concert, the patient is more likely to accept the prescription and attend a concert.' This initiative by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra is the latest example in Canada of what is known as social prescribing, where healthcare providers prescribe things that are normally outside the scope of medicine but can have a tremendous impact on people's health and well-being, such as art, nature, or community activities. This is a growing practice, and its advocates say it reduces loneliness, improves health outcomes, eases the burden on the health care system, and fosters the much-needed trust between doctors and patients. Attending a music concert has medical virtues, according to studies. Listening to music releases endorphins, which are natural painkillers and mood regulators. It stimulates the release of dopamine, the well-being hormone, related to pleasure, memory, and cognition. In addition, it reduces cortisol levels, the stress hormone. 'As a result, music provides benefits such as reducing stress and anxiety, relieving pain, and improving cognitive function,' said Parent. But why prescribe music instead of just communicating its benefits? 'We all know the influence that a doctor has over their patient,' said Parent. 'I would love to expand that project on a large scale.' For her, social prescribing is not just about art. It's also about listening to the patient and finding what makes sense for that person. A doctor could prescribe a spot in an exercise class or a membership in a community organization. 'When a patient contacts us, we will give them two free tickets,' said Mélanie La Couture, general manager of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, noting that patients will be able to choose the concert they want. Studies show that listening to music releases endorphins, which are natural painkillers and mood regulators. It stimulates the release of dopamine, the well-being hormone, related to pleasure, memory, and cognition. In addition, it reduces cortisol levels, the stress hormone. 'This is the first step,' said La Couture. After that, they hope to grow. Why the orchestra? When Nicole Parent, executive director of Canadian Francophone Physicians, first contacted La Couture, her intention was to get a discount on tickets for doctors. But their partnership soon became more ambitious.