The role of advocacy in occasioning community and organizational change in a medical-legal partnership.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2013
Identifier
DOI: 10.1080/10852352.2013.788343
Abstract
Health disparities among low-income individuals remain a significant problem. A number of social determinants are associated with adverse health outcomes. Medical-legal partnerships address legal concerns of low-income individuals to improve health and wellness in adults and children. The Medical-Legal Partnership at Legal Aid of Western Missouri provides free direct legal services for patients with legal concerns affecting health. There is limited evidence regarding the association between advocacy-related efforts and changes within both the medical-legal partnership structure and in health-care facilities. Three health-care organizations in Kansas City, MO participated in implementing the medical-legal partnership model between 2007 and 2010. Advocacy efforts conducted by key medical-legal partnership personnel were strongly associated with changes in health-care organizations and within the medical-legal partnership structure. This study extends the current evidence base by examining the types of advocacy efforts required to bring about community and organizational changes.
Journal Title
J Prev Interv Community
Volume
41
Issue
3
First Page
167
Last Page
175
MeSH Keywords
Community Networks; Consumer Advocacy; Health Status Disparities; Humans; Jurisprudence; Missouri; Models, Organizational; Organizational Innovation; Poverty; Social Change; Urban Health Services
Recommended Citation
Anderson-Carpenter, K. D., Collie-Akers, V., Colvin, J. D., Cronin, K. The role of advocacy in occasioning community and organizational change in a medical-legal partnership. J Prev Interv Community 41, 167-175 (2013).
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