J Leg Med. 2025 Jul 14:1-13. doi: 10.1080/01947648.2025.2524668. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Medical-legal partnerships (MLP) improve the ability of healthcare professionals to address patients’ socioeconomic concerns. The Finger Lakes Legal Care Project (FLLC) is an MLP of LawNY, a nonprofit law firm that provides free legal assistance in western New York. This study aimed to assess for changes in self-reported health outcomes following receipt of legal aid.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who received legal assistance through the FLLC Project were administered the Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12) at the outset and conclusion of legal intervention. Demographic information was collected. Survey responses were analyzed using paired t-tests.
RESULTS: Four hundred and eight participants with an average age of 49 years completed the pre-legal intervention survey and 123 individuals completed the survey post legal intervention. The majority of participants were White, non-Hispanic (36%) or African American (31.3%). There were statistically significant differences in the mean scores of two of the SF-12 questions. Participants reported that their health was less likely to limit their ability to perform regular activities (p = .037) and they felt “calm and peaceful” more frequently (p = .032) following legal aid.
CONCLUSIONS: Standardized surveys in conjunction with qualitative measures are needed to assess the efficacy of MLP models and establish a framework for emerging MLPs.
PMID:40658806 | DOI:10.1080/01947648.2025.2524668
