How Better Data Could Help Arts Prescription Programs Reach More People

Rutgers-led research highlights how arts and culture can serve as a social driver of health while providing a roadmap for scaling such prescription programs nationwide

A ceramics class. A poetry workshop. A live performance. For an increasing number of people, those experiences are becoming part of a prescription for better health.

A new Rutgers-led study examined one of the nation's largest arts prescription programs, which are designed to use the arts to improve people's well-being. Researchers found that better tracking tools may help organizations understand who participates, where people lose interest and what keeps them engaged.

The study, published in Frontiers in Public Health, analyzed two years of data from ArtsRx, an arts prescription program led by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) that connects participants with free arts and cultural experiences throughout Newark and the surrounding area.

Arts prescription programs are part of a broader movement known as social prescribing, which encourages health care providers and community organizations to connect people with activities and resources outside of conventional medical care. The goal is to address matters such as loneliness, social isolation, and other issues that can affect health.

Our findings show that technology can play a critical role in helping programs evaluate their impact, strengthen participation and support the integration of arts and culture into broader health and well-being efforts.

Kristen D. Krause

Asst. Professor, Rutgers School of Public Health, Deputy Director, Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies

ArtsRx, created in 2023 through a partnership between NJPAC and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, has expanded to include referrals from health care organizations, universities, municipal agencies, and community groups. Participants can choose from a range of arts experiences based on their interests, at no cost to them.

While these programs are becoming more common in the United States, researchers still know little about how people use them.

The Rutgers-led researchers examined participation records from 498 individuals who were referred to the program between 2023 and 2025 through a customer relationship management technology platform. They found that people who completed the ArtsRx program attended 78.2% of the activities they registered for. Among those who withdrew from the program, attendance was less than 8.2%. Many participants who left never attended an event at all.

The findings demonstrate that customer relationship management technology can provide real-time insights into how participants engage with arts prescription programs, helping organizations identify opportunities to improve retention and expand access.

"Arts prescription programs are growing across the United States, but many organizations lack the infrastructure needed to understand who is participating, how people engage, and where barriers exist," said Kristen D. Krause, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and deputy director of the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies. '"Our findings show that technology can play a critical role in helping programs evaluate their impact, strengthen participation and support the integration of arts and culture into broader health and well-being efforts."

The researchers also learned that the source of a referral mattered. Participants referred through community organizations and educational institutions tended to stay engaged at higher rates than those referred through conventional health care channels.

They found few differences in engagement across race, ethnicity or gender. Once participants enrolled, people from different backgrounds generally engaged with the program at similar rates.

For Aly Maier Lokuta, Assistant Vice President of Arts & Well-Being at NJPAC and one of the leaders behind ArtsRx, the findings offer an opportunity to strengthen a program built around making arts and cultural experiences more accessible as a resource for health and well-being.

"From the beginning, ArtsRx has been about connecting people with meaningful arts experiences that can support their health and well-being," Maier Lokuta said. "This research helps us better understand how people are engaging with the program and where we can make those connections stronger, so that ArtsRx can continue to grow and reach more people across our communities."

In addition to Krause and Maier Lokuta, co-authors include Ricardo Kairios of Rutgers Cooperative Extension; Taylor Masamitsu and Kendall Lyra of NJPAC and the Colton Institute of Arts Training and Research. The study was supported by the Rutgers-New Brunswick Office for Research Behavioral Health and Equity Pilot Seed Funding Program.

Explore more of the ways Rutgers research is shaping the future. Find out how NJPACcontributes to community health.