Moving Upstream: How Interventions That Address the Social Determinant of Health Can Improve Health and Reduce Disparities

Journal of Public Health Management and Practice article highlights medical-legal partnership as an intervention that improves health and reduces disparities. An excerpt:

The Medical-Legal Partnership model developed by the Boston Medical Center shows
promise for improving care and enhancing the management of disease...The addition of
lawyers to the medical team can promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to
the effective care and management of illness by screening patients and their families for
social problems that can affect their medical care, assisting in the resolution of specific
social problems and enhancing the effectiveness of advocacy by the entire healthcare
team.

Moving Upstream: How Interventions That Address the Social Determinant of Health Can Improve Health and Reduce Disparities. Journal of Public Health Management Practices. November 2008; 14(6) Supplement: S8-S17. David R. Williams, et. al.