Article: In study, MLP services reduced ED use among high-need, high-use patients

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

By Jeffrey Martin, Audrey Martin, Catherine Schultz, & Megan Sandel — Health Affairs blog

Download the full article: "Embedding Civil Legal Aid Services In Care for High-Utilizing Patients Using Medical-Legal Partnership"

A one-year pilot study of high-need, high-use patients at Lancaster General Health showed that 95 percent of patients studied had 2-3 civil legal problems each. The study, published on the Health Affairs blog, also found that when those problems were addressed, inpatient and Emergency Department use dropped 50 percent, and overall health care costs went down 45 percent.

[Pictured above: Lancaster General Health Superutilizer Project. From left to right: Katie Schultz (attorney), Wendy Walton (Social Worker), Amber Jerauld (Pharmacist), “Mr. Williams” (Client), Adam Wilikofsky (Clinical Psychologist), Jeffrey Martin (physician), Audrey Martin (LCSW)]