"Stress off our shoulders": A qualitative pilot study of a neonatal medical-legal partnership

OBJECTIVE: Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) integrate attorneys into health care settings to provide free legal care for low-income families. Our objective was to explore MLP client experiences of a neonatal MLP integrated into a neonatal intensive care unit and fetal care program. 

STUDY DESIGN: We used a qualitative descriptive inquiry methodological approach to conduct interviews with clients of the neonatal MLP clients. Interviews were conducted via telephone, recorded, and transcribed. We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of the data. 

RESULTS: Sixteen neonatal MLP clients completed qualitative interviews. We found that MLPs may facilitate supportive, holistic, and interdisciplinary care that mitigates parental distress and addresses structural barriers to family stability. The program would be improved with more transparency, capacity, and visibility. 

CONCLUSION: Medical-Legal Partnerships offer an innovative strategy to address social determinants with legal implications that impact the health and well-being of neonatal intensive care unit and fetal care therapy patients and families.