TY - JOUR
T1 - Medical-Legal Partnerships Facilitate Patient-Provider Cost of Care Conversations
T2 - A Multisite Qualitative Study in the U.S
AU - Edward, Jean S
AU - Northrip, Kimberly D
AU - Welker, Andrea
AU - Costich, Julia F
PY - 2022/11
Y1 - 2022/11
N2 - This study examines the impact of medical-legal partnerships on facilitating and managing outcomes of patient-provider cost of care conversations. We conducted 96 semi-structured interviews with 18 patients and 78 medical-legal partnership personnel from 10 states between March and November of 2020. The presence of legal staff helped strengthen interdisciplinary collaborations and build confidence among providers around addressing health-harming legal needs through effective cost of care conversations. Medical-legal partnerships with well-established provider training opportunities reported effective cost of care conversations, improved patient outcomes, and increased return on investment for health systems. Lack of time, knowledge, and training were identified as barriers to clinicians engaging in cost of care conversations. Positive patient outcomes included improved access to public benefits, health benefits, financial benefits, special education services, stable housing, and food. Medical-legal partnerships facilitate effective patient-provider cost of care conversations that improve patients' medical, legal, and social service outcomes.
AB - This study examines the impact of medical-legal partnerships on facilitating and managing outcomes of patient-provider cost of care conversations. We conducted 96 semi-structured interviews with 18 patients and 78 medical-legal partnership personnel from 10 states between March and November of 2020. The presence of legal staff helped strengthen interdisciplinary collaborations and build confidence among providers around addressing health-harming legal needs through effective cost of care conversations. Medical-legal partnerships with well-established provider training opportunities reported effective cost of care conversations, improved patient outcomes, and increased return on investment for health systems. Lack of time, knowledge, and training were identified as barriers to clinicians engaging in cost of care conversations. Positive patient outcomes included improved access to public benefits, health benefits, financial benefits, special education services, stable housing, and food. Medical-legal partnerships facilitate effective patient-provider cost of care conversations that improve patients' medical, legal, and social service outcomes.
KW - Humans
KW - Communication
KW - Qualitative Research
KW - Health Personnel
U2 - 10.1177/10547738221120339
DO - 10.1177/10547738221120339
M3 - Article
C2 - 36113114
SN - 1054-7738
VL - 31
SP - 1500
EP - 1509
JO - Clinical Nursing Research
JF - Clinical Nursing Research
IS - 8
ER -