WIP 137 - Evaluation of a Medical-Legal Partnership at a Pediatric Clinic in the Texas Medical Center

Poster Number: WIP 137
Publication Number: WIP 137.2526

Background: The Medical Legal Partnership (MLP) is one inter-professional intervention that optimizes care management by combating social needs that emerge at patient intake. Within this multisectoral framework, lawyers or legal aids are integrated into clinic settings alongside clinicians, social workers, and care-management staff to ensure that health-harming needs are solvable through joint legal and medical recourse, versus clinical intervention only. Given that vulnerable families with children experience two to three health-harming needs on average, the MLP is primely positioned to provide valuable assistance to remedy social stressors that negatively impact health prognosis.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the most common health-harming needs in our clinic population.

Design/Methods: An ongoing cohort quality improvement study – with institutional review board exemption- was launchedin July 2023 by the UTHealth McGovern Medical School to evaluate MLP implementation metrics that inform success of future implementation efforts. This study utilizes both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to assess pediatric patient population referred to MLP and their health-harming needs, examine differential MLP referral and outcomes data by patients’ characteristics, and explore patients’ perceived engagement and acceptance of the MLP program. Key data points of interest, obtained from electronic health records, and which will be assessed using descriptive (mean, standard deviations, and frequencies) and mixed-effect logistic modeling, include proportion of HHLNs referred to and resolved through MLP resolution, proportion of PED12 patients screened for MLP services, proportion of eligible patients referred through social workers, improved mental health (GAD-7 and PSS scales), and reductions in emergency department and hospital visits. Quantitative data management tools include Redcap and Stata version 16.1.; StataCorp, College Station, TX).Qualitative feedback will be obtained through virtual phone interviews and will be evaluated using Dedoose software.