The Role of the Medical Champion in the Medical-Legal Partnership: A Delphi Study

Medical-legal partnership (MLP) is an intervention embedding legal professionals within a clinical setting to address patients' health harming legal needs (HHLN). While much of the literature focuses on the role of the lawyer in the partnership, less is understood about the role of the clinician. Data were collected about MLP medical champions from workshop attendees at an MLP conference held by the Solomon Center at Yale Law School, a leader in health law. From the 107 concepts collected at the workshop, 40 mechanisms by which the medical champion can best serve an MLP were identified and ranked by expert MLP champions, using a Delphi method. Medical champions' relations with the legal team and with direct patient care were of high priority, in contrast with their role in larger scale advocacy. The findings from this study provide evidence that medical champions are a cornerstone of MLPs as they understand clinical workflows, are aware of patient population needs, and can support the multi-disciplinary MLP team to address HHLN. By gaining a deeper understanding of the potential responsibilities and actionable steps that a medical champion can undertake, it is possible to mitigate the challenges faced by MLPs and enhance their implementation and longevity.