Legal Care as Part of Health Care: The Benefits of Medical-Legal Partnership

Medical-Legal Partnerships and Prevention: Caring for Unrepresented Patients Through Early Identification and Intervention

Caring for unrepresented patients encompasses legal, ethical, and moral challenges regarding decision-making, consent, the patient's values, wishes, best interest, and the healthcare team's professional integrity and autonomy. In this article, I consider the impact of the aging population and the effects of the social determinants of health and suggest that without preventive intervention, the number of unrepresented patients will continue to increase. The health, social, and legal risk factors for becoming unrepresented require a multidisciplinary response. Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) bring healthcare and legal professionals together to address risk factors and health-harming legal needs. The article discusses the role of MLPs in identifying at-risk individuals, providing preventive interventions, and providing support. I make recommendations and conclude that proactive MLPs offer a sustainable approach to the ethical challenges in caring for unrepresented patients by providing interventions to prevent individuals from becoming unrepresented.

A Novel Framework to Address the Complexities of Housing Insecurity and Its Associated Health Outcomes and Inequities: "Give, Partner, Invest"

The association between housing insecurity and reduced access to healthcare, diminished mental and physical health, and increased mortality is well-known. This association, along with structural racism, social inequities, and lack of economic opportunities, continues to widen the gap in health outcomes and other disparities between those in higher and lower socio-economic strata in the United States and throughout the advanced economies of the world. System-wide infrastructure failures at municipal, state, and federal government levels have inadequately addressed the difficulty with housing affordability and stability and its associated impact on health outcomes and inequities. Healthcare systems are uniquely poised to help fill this gap and engage with proposed solutions. Strategies that incorporate multiple investment pathways and emphasize community-based partnerships and innovation have the potential for broad public health impacts. In this manuscript, we describe a novel framework, "Give, Partner, Invest," which was created and utilized by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Insurance Services Division (ISD) as part of the Integrated Delivery and Finance System to demonstrate the financial, policy, partnership, and workforce levers that could make substantive investments in affordable housing and community-based interventions to improve the health and well-being of our communities. Further, we address housing policy limitations and infrastructure challenges and offer potential solutions.

Association of social service counseling in breast cancer patients with financial problems, role functioning and employment-results from the prospective multicenter BRENDA II study

BACKGROUND

This study examined the relationship between social service counseling (SSC) and financial and role functioning problems in primary breast cancer (BC) patients over a 5-year observation period.

METHODS

In the multicenter prospective study, patients were approached before surgery (t1), before initiation of adjuvant treatment (t2), after therapy completion (t3), and 5 years after surgery (t4). We examined the proportion of BC survivors who had financial and role functioning problems and the proportion who were employed at t4. We examined how frequently patients were informed about, offered, or used SSC, and we used multivariate logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship between this and financial and role functioning problem prevalence.

RESULTS

Of the 456 BC survivors, 33% had financial problems and 22% reported role functioning problems at t4. There was no evidence that women with increased financial problems were informed about SSC more often than those without (OR 1.1, p = 0.84) or that they used SSC more often (OR 1.3, p = 0.25). However, women with role functioning problems were informed about SSC significantly more often (OR 1.7, p = 0.02) and attended counseling significantly more often (OR 1.6, p = 0.03). Among participants aged < 65 years at t4 (n = 255), 70% were employed. Patients who had received SSC were more likely to be employed at t4 than patients who did not (OR 1.9, p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

These findings underline the importance of SSC for BC patients with role functioning issues. They indicate that individuals who use SSC are more likely to be employed later on than individuals who do not.

A care coordinator screening strategy to address health harming legal needs

Background

Medical legal partnerships provide an opportunity to help address various social determinants of health; however, the traditional practice of screening patients during clinical encounters is limited by the capacity of busy clinicians. Our medical legal partnership utilized care coordinators trained by the legal service attorneys to screen patients outside of clinical encounters for health harming legal needs. The goal of our study was to demonstrate that our novel model could successfully identify and refer patients of a safety-net healthcare system to appropriate legal services.

Methods

We conducted a mixed methods evaluation of the program. Data was collected during the implementation period of the program from March 2017 to August 2018. Operational data collected included number of patients screened, number of referrals to the legal partner, source and reason for referrals. Return on investment was calculated by subtracting program costs from the total reimbursement to the health system from clients’ insurance benefits secured through legal services.

Results

During the 18-month study, 29,268 patients were screened by care coordinators for health harming legal needs, with 492 patients (1.7%) referred for legal assistance. Of the 133 cases closed in 2017, all clients were invited to participate in a telephone interview; 63 pre-consented to contact, 33 were successfully contacted and 23 completed the interview. The majority (57%) reported a satisfactory resolution of their legal barrier to health. This was accompanied by an improvement in self-reported health with a decrease of patients reporting less than optimal health from 16 (89%) prior to intervention to 8 (44%) after intervention [risk ratio (95% confidence interval): 0.20 (0.04, 0.91)]. Patients also reported improvements in general well-being for themselves and their family. The healthcare system recorded a 263% return on investment.

Conclusions

In our medical legal partnership, screening for health harming legal needs by care coordinators outside of a clinical encounter allowed for efficient screening in a high risk population. The legal services intervention was associated with improvements in self-reported health and family well-being when compared to previous models. The return on investment was substantial.

Optimizing Medical-Legal Partnerships in Pediatric Psychology to Reduce Health Disparities

OBJECTIVE

To provide a topical review of the literature on the use of medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) to address social determinants of health (SDH) needs as a means to reduce health disparities, and to make recommendations for the implementation of MLPs within pediatric psychologists' clinical work, research, and training.

METHODS

We conducted a topical review of the research on the intersection of MLPs, SDH needs, and health disparities among pediatric populations. Given the scarcity of literature available, both empirical and theoretical articles were included in the review.

RESULTS

Though limited, the extant literature suggests that use of MLPs may help address the SDH needs that perpetuate disparities among pediatric populations. To date, MLPs are not as frequently incorporated in the training and work of pediatric psychologists as they may be in other related fields (e.g., medicine).

CONCLUSIONS

MLPs provide an opportunity for psychologists to broaden their interdisciplinary collaborations, to more aptly meet the social and legal needs of their patients to assist in reducing inequities among underserved pediatric populations. The systematic incorporation of MLPs into pediatric psychology training may help to increase the utilization of these services moving forward.

Resilience-promoting policies and contexts for children of color in the United States: Existing research and future priorities

The health status of children in the United States varies by racial and ethnic, shaped by an interrelated set of systems that disadvantage children of color in the United States. In this article, we argue for a broad view of resilience, in both research and policy, that views resilience not just as a property of individuals but also as a characteristic of social contexts and policies. Accordingly, we describe the empirical evidence for policies and contexts as factors that can improve health among children and families that are deprived of equal opportunities and resources due to structural racism. We discuss the evidence and opportunities for policies and interventions across a variety of societal systems, including programs to promote economic and food security, early education, health care, and the neighborhood and community context. Based on this evidence and other research on racism and resilience, we conclude by outlining some directions for future research.

Opportunities for Supporting Latino Immigrants in Emergency and Ambulatory Care Settings

Toughened immigration policies exacerbate barriers to public benefits and health care for immigrants. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of the immigration climate on the utilization of pediatric emergency and ambulatory care services and elucidate ways to best support Latino immigrant families. This is a cross-sectional study involving surveys and interviews with Latino parents (≥ 18 years) in the pediatric emergency department. Forty-five parents completed surveys and 40 were interviewed. We identified two themes on health care utilization: fear of detention and deportation in health care settings, and barriers to pediatric primary care; and two themes on how pediatric providers can best support Latinos: information and guidance on immigration policies, and reassurance and safety during visits. Despite immigration fears, Latino parents continue to seek health care for their children. This highlights the unique access that pediatric providers have to this vulnerable population to address immigration fears and establish trust in the health care system. Health care providers are also perceived as trusted figures from whom Latino families want more information on the latest immigration policies, immigration resources, and education on legal rights during medical visits.

Improving the Care of Youth With Type 1 Diabetes With a Novel Medical-Legal Community Intervention: The Diabetes Community Care Ambassador Program

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and efficacy of the Diabetes Community Care Ambassador (DCCA) Program, a novel medical-legal community intervention designed to support high-risk youth with type 1 diabetes. Methods Study eligibility criteria: ages 3-19 years, A1C ≥8.5% (≥69 mmol/mol) and/or recent diabetic ketoacidosis hospitalization, type 1 diabetes duration ≥1 year, and English- or Spanish-speaking. Eighty-nine youth and their caregivers participated in the 9- to 12-month intervention, which included diabetes education and support through 3 home visits, 1 to 2 school visits, and phone support from a lay health worker, as well as legal support from a medical-legal partnership attorney. Feasibility was assessed; change in A1C was compared in a linear mixed model. Results Of the 89 DCCA Program participants, 80% completed the program, with the majority of participants rating their DCCA favorably. Sixty-two percent reported ≥1 unmet legal need, of whom 29% accepted legal counsel. Youth enrolled in the DCCA Program demonstrated an improvement in glycemic control as their mean A1C decreased from 9.71% (83 mmol/mol) at the start of the program to 9.40% (79 mmol/mol) at the end of the intervention period ( P = .03). Participants with public health insurance experienced the greatest differential A1C reduction (9.79% to 9.11%, 83 mmol/mol to 76 mmol/mol). Conclusions The DCCA Program represents a promising intervention for improving care of high-risk youth with type 1 diabetes. A significant proportion of caregivers of youth reported having an unmet legal need. Participants remained highly engaged and demonstrated improved glycemic control, particularly youth with public health insurance.

Defining Advance Care Planning for Adults: A Consensus Definition From a Multidisciplinary Delphi Panel

CONTEXT

Despite increasing interest in advance care planning (ACP) and previous ACP descriptions, a consensus definition does not yet exist to guide clinical, research, and policy initiatives.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to develop a consensus definition of ACP for adults.

METHODS

We convened a Delphi panel of multidisciplinary, international ACP experts consisting of 52 clinicians, researchers, and policy leaders from four countries and a patient/surrogate advisory committee. We conducted 10 rounds using a modified Delphi method and qualitatively analyzed panelists' input. Panelists identified several themes lacking consensus and iteratively discussed and developed a final consensus definition.

RESULTS

Panelists identified several tensions concerning ACP concepts such as whether the definition should focus on conversations vs. written advance directives; patients' values vs. treatment preferences; current shared decision making vs. future medical decisions; and who should be included in the process. The panel achieved a final consensus one-sentence definition and accompanying goals statement: "Advance care planning is a process that supports adults at any age or stage of health in understanding and sharing their personal values, life goals, and preferences regarding future medical care. The goal of advance care planning is to help ensure that people receive medical care that is consistent with their values, goals and preferences during serious and chronic illness." The panel also described strategies to best support adults in ACP.

CONCLUSIONS

A multidisciplinary Delphi panel developed a consensus definition for ACP for adults that can be used to inform implementation and measurement of ACP clinical, research, and policy initiatives.

Breathe Easy at Home: A Qualitative Evaluation of a Pediatric Asthma Intervention

The Breathe Easy at Home Program enables clinicians to refer asthmatic patients to Boston Inspectional Services Department (ISD) if they suspect housing conditions trigger symptoms. The authors conducted one-on-one interviews with clinicians (n = 10) who referred patients, and focus groups with inspectors from the ISD (n = 9) and a variety of stakeholders (n = 13), to gain insight into program function and implementation. Clinician interviews revealed inconsistencies in enrollment approaches, dissatisfaction with the web-based system, and patient follow-up difficulties. Inspectors identified barriers to working effectively with residents and landlords, and the stakeholder focus group highlighted successes of an unusual institutional collaboration. Interviews and focus groups identified strong and personal rapport between clinicians, inspectors, and patients as key to program retention, and that participating families required additional support throughout the process. Despite recommendations for improvement in program implementation, clinicians, inspectors, and stakeholders felt that the program overall improved both the home environment and asthma outcomes.