What Are Epidemiological Foundations for Integrating Legal Services Into Health Care Settings?

ABSTRACT

Medical-legal partnerships vary widely in how they are structured and use data to inform service delivery. Epidemiological data on certain chronic conditions' prevalence, the incidence of potentially preventable morbidity, and health-harming legal factors also influence approaches to care. This article draws on a pediatric example of how data-driven medical care complements data-driven legal care. This article also considers medical and public health ethical frameworks to guide protected information sharing, promote optimal service delivery, and achieve the best possible medical-legal outcomes.