Making the Case for Medical-Legal Partnerships: An Updated Review of the Evidence (2020–2024)
Friday, June 13, 2025
Making the Case for Medical-Legal Partnerships: An Updated Review of the Evidence, 2020-2024
This comprehensive literature review, published by the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership (NCMLP), offers an in-depth analysis of peer-reviewed research on medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) from September 2020 through August 2024. Building on earlier reviews from 2013 and 2020, this third installment captures the evolution and growing impact of MLPs across healthcare systems.
The review examines 74 articles and organizes the findings into three categories: descriptive articles, practice reports, and observational studies. It focuses primarily on outcomes reported in observational studies, detailing five high-level impact areas: improvements in patient health and well-being, increased housing and utility stability, enhanced access to financial supports, strengthened healthcare system and workforce capacity, and contributions to policy and regulatory reform.
Notable findings include reductions in emergency department visits and hospitalizations, increased recovery of public benefits for patients, enhanced provider ability to address social determinants of health, and measurable cost savings for healthcare institutions. The review also underscores the importance of interprofessional education and workforce development in expanding the reach and effectiveness of MLPs.
As the field continues to grow, the review identifies key opportunities to enhance evaluation methods, explore sustainable financing models, and document policy-level outcomes. This resource serves as a critical evidence base for health, legal, and policy stakeholders working to advance health equity through integrated, cross-sector approaches.
A complete list of the MLP-related peer-reviewed literature included in this review can be found here: NCMLP Literature Review (September 2020 – August 2024)