Publications by authors named "Samantha J Morton"
Background: Sociolegal barriers to cancer care are defined as health-related social needs like affordable healthy housing, stable utility service, and food security that may be remedied by public policy, law, regulation, or programming. Legal support has not been studied in cancer care.
Methods: The authors conducted a randomized controlled trial of patients who had newly diagnosed cancer at a safety-net medical center in Boston from 2014 through 2017, comparing standard patient navigation versus enhanced navigation partnered with legal advocates to identify and address sociolegal barriers.
Article Synopsis
- Social and economic challenges, such as lack of affordable housing and limited access to education, are significant barriers to health, particularly for vulnerable cancer patients.
- A survey conducted at an urban safety-net hospital revealed that 77% of 104 participants experienced socio-legal concerns—issues related to basic needs influenced by public policy—in the past month.
- The most prevalent concerns were about income support, housing, and education/employment, highlighting the necessity for improved cancer care that addresses these issues.
Background: Changes in health care delivery create opportunities to improve systems to better meet the needs of low-income families while achieving quality benchmarks.
Methods: Families of healthy newborns receiving primary care at a single large urban safety-net hospital participated. Intervention families were randomly assigned a family specialist who provided support until the 6-month routine health care visit.