Medical Legal Partnerships (MLPs) offer a unique and effective way to address social determinants of health (SDOH) by combining legal and medical expertise. The research article "Applying a Social Ecological Model to Medical Legal Partnerships Practice and Research" provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and improving MLP practices. Here’s how practitioners can leverage these insights to enhance their skills and make a greater impact.
Understanding the Social Ecological Model (SEM)
The Social Ecological Model (SEM) is a conceptual framework that recognizes individuals operate within multiple interactive systems and environments. It categorizes these influences into five core constructs:
- Intrapersonal: Individual knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and skills.
- Interpersonal: Relationships with family, friends, and social networks.
- Institution/Organization: Environments like neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools.
- Community: Networks and relationships among institutions and organizations.
- Societal: Governmental policies, laws, and regulations.
Applying SEM to MLP Practice
By integrating SEM into MLP practice, practitioners can better understand the multifaceted impacts of their interventions and how these address patient outcomes. Here’s how:
1. Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Levels
At these levels, MLPs can provide direct legal services and educate clients on recognizing and navigating health-harming legal needs (HHLN). Practitioners can:
- Offer self-help advice and legal representation.
- Educate clients about their rights and the structural processes for addressing legal issues.
- Conduct pre/post-intervention surveys to measure changes in clients' knowledge, attitudes, and skills.
2. Institutional/Organization and Community Levels
MLPs can influence the environments where clients live and receive services by:
- Incorporating MLP services into healthcare delivery.
- Implementing interdisciplinary education (IDE) and interprofessional collaboration (IPC) strategies.
- Promoting policies and procedures that enhance awareness and screening for HHLN/SDOH.
3. Societal Level
At this level, MLPs engage in systemic advocacy to change or enforce laws and regulations for public health improvement. Examples include:
- Advocating for policy changes to improve Medicaid processes or housing conditions.
- Collaborating with federal agencies to support MLP adoption and funding.
Encouraging Further Research
While SEM provides a robust framework, more theory-driven and rigorous research is needed to establish the evidence base for MLPs' impact on SDOH and health outcomes. Practitioners are encouraged to:
- Participate in or initiate research studies.
- Collaborate with academic institutions for data collection and analysis.
- Disseminate findings to support MLP sustainability and scalability.
By applying SEM to their practice and engaging in further research, practitioners can maximize the impact of MLPs on health outcomes across multiple systems and environments.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Applying a Social Ecological Model to Medical Legal Partnerships Practice and Research.
