Health-harming Legal Needs
Conditions
Brief summary
The aim of this study is to test whether participation of low-income patients with health-harming legal needs (HHLNs) in a medical legal partnership (MLP) results in improved mental health, improved quality of life, reduced utilization, and increased resolution of HHLNs.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMedical Legal Partnership
With the medical legal partnership, lawyers are embedded in clinics, and lawyers consult with patients who are identified as having health-harming legal needs (HHLNs). This arm will also receive usual care, which includes consultation with a social worker and a community health worker.
BEHAVIORALUsual Care
Usual care includes consultation with a social worker and a community health worker.
Sponsors
Texas Medical Center Foundation
University of Houston
William Marsh Rice University
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* low-income individuals (Low-income is defined as earning less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level) * individuals with HHLNs * English or Spanish speaking
Exclusion criteria
* self-identified as being at significant and immediate risk due to HHLNs (e.g., a situation that involves imminent risk to the patient such as domestic violence)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Stress as assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale | baseline | The perceived stress scale consists of 10 items, with each item ranging from 0-4, for a total score range of 0-40. A higher score indicates a worse outcome. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Depression as assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale | baseline | The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale consists of 20 items, with each item ranging from 0-3, for a total score range of 0-60. A higher score indicates a worse outcome. |
| Quality of life as assessed by the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) | baseline | The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) consists of 29 items, with 28 of the items ranging from 1-5 and 1 item ranging from 0-10, for a total score range of 28-150. A higher score indicates a worse outcome. |
| Number of Urgent Care Visits | baseline | — |
| Anxiety as assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale | baseline | The Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale consists of 7 items, with each item ranging from 0-3, for a total score range of 0-21. A higher score indicates a worse outcome. |
| Number of Hospital Visits | baseline | — |
| Percentage of baseline health-harming legal needs that were resolved | baseline | — |
| Number of Emergency Department Visits | baseline | — |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed