Expanding the UTHealth Medical Legal Partnership to Improve Mental Health for Low-Income Individuals
Study Details
Study Description
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.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Medical 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. |
Behavioral: Medical 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.
Behavioral: Usual Care
Usual care includes consultation with a social worker and a community health worker.
|
| Active Comparator: Usual Care Usual care includes consultation with a social worker and a community health worker. |
Behavioral: Usual Care
Usual care includes consultation with a social worker and a community health worker.
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- 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.
- Stress as assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale [3 months]
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.
- Stress as assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale [6 months]
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.
- Stress as assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale [12 months]
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 Outcome Measures
- 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.
- Anxiety as assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale [3 months]
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.
- Anxiety as assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale [6 months]
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.
- Anxiety as assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale [12 months]
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.
- 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.
- Depression as assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [3 months]
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.
- Depression as assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [6 months]
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.
- Depression as assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [12 months]
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.
- Quality of life as assessed by the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) [3 months]
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.
- Quality of life as assessed by the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) [6 months]
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.
- Quality of life as assessed by the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) [12 months]
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]
- Number of Urgent Care Visits [3 months]
- Number of Urgent Care Visits [6 months]
- Number of Urgent Care Visits [12 months]
- Number of Emergency Department Visits [baseline]
- Number of Emergency Department Visits [3 months]
- Number of Emergency Department Visits [6 months]
- Number of Emergency Department Visits [12 months]
- Number of Hospital Visits [baseline]
- Number of Hospital Visits [3 months]
- Number of Hospital Visits [6 months]
- Number of Hospital Visits [12 months]
- Percentage of baseline health-harming legal needs that were resolved [baseline]
- Percentage of baseline health-harming legal needs that were resolved [3 months]
- Percentage of baseline health-harming legal needs that were resolved [6 months]
- Percentage of baseline health-harming legal needs that were resolved [12 months]
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
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)
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jensen Clinic | Houston | Texas | United States | 77093 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
- Texas Medical Center Foundation
- University of Houston
- William Marsh Rice University
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Winston Liaw, MD, MPH, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- HSC-MS-18-1037