Interprofessional Medical–Legal Education of Medical Students: Assessing the Benefits for Addressing Social Determinants of Health

Journal Article
Written By NCMLP

Description

In 2011, the authors implemented a four-session didactic interprofessional curriculum on medical–legal practice for third-year medical students at Morehouse School of Medicine. This program, also attended by law students, focused on interprofessional collaboration to address client/patient social determinant of health (SDOH) issues and health-harming legal needs. From 2011–2014, the medical students participated in pre- and post-intervention surveys designed to determine their awareness of SDOH’s impact on health as well as their attitudes toward screening for SDOH issues and incorporating resources, including a legal resource, to address them. Post-intervention survey results indicated that students self-reported an increased likelihood to screen patients for SDOH issues and an increased likelihood to refer patients to a legal resource. The findings were published in the Academic Medicine.

 

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Authors

  • Robert Pettignano

  • Lisa Bliss

  • Susan McLaren

  • Sylvia Caley

NCMLP

ncmlp@gwu.edu

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Information Sharing in Medical-Legal Partnerships: Foundational Concepts and Resources