Medical-Legal Partnership as Value-Based Primary Care: Interprofessional Teamwork for Health-Related Social Needs

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Public Health
• Legal Medicine

Background:

• Primary care physicians increasingly manage patients' health-related social needs (HRSN).
• An aging population exacerbates the complexity of intersecting medical and social needs in primary care.
• Medical-legal partnerships (MLP) offer a collaborative model combining clinical and legal expertise to address HRSN.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore a value-based approach for integrating Medical-legal partnerships (MLP) into primary care.
• To enhance the capacity of primary care practices to address health-related social needs (HRSN).
• To identify operational and policy strategies for effective MLP implementation.

Main Methods:

• The study proposes a framework for integrating MLP into healthcare systems.
• It emphasizes the importance of data coordination between medical and legal professionals.
• It highlights the need for policy coordination at state and federal levels, including Medicaid.

Main Results:

• Integrating MLP can improve the value of clinical care delivery for patients with HRSN.
• Effective data and policy coordination are crucial for MLP success.
• A value-based approach can help primary care practices better manage revenue and expenses while addressing HRSN.

Conclusions:

• Medical-legal partnerships (MLP) present a significant opportunity for health systems to improve care for patients with health-related social needs (HRSN).
• Strategic integration of MLP, supported by robust data and policy coordination, can enhance patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
• Primary care settings should recognize and leverage MLP to address the complex needs of diverse patient populations.