Medical home and pediatric primary care utilization among children with special health care needs. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • INTRODUCTION: The medical home model seeks to improve health care delivery by enhancing primary care. This study examined the relationship between the presence of a medical home and pediatric primary care office visits by children withspecial health care needs (CSHCN) using the data from 2005-2006 National Survey of Children with Special Healthcare Needs. METHOD: Survey logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship. RESULTS: When CSHCN age, gender, ethnicity/race, functional status, insurance status, household education, residence, and income were included in the model, CSHCN with a medical home were 1.6 times more likely to have six or more annual pediatric primary care office visits than were children without a medical home [odds ratio = 1.60, 95% confidence interval = (1.47, 1.75)]. Female CSHCN, younger CSHCN, children with public health insurance, children with severe functional limitations, and CSHCN living in rural areas also were more likely to have a larger number of visits. DISCUSSION: By controlling for child sociodemographic characteristics, this study provides empirical evidence about how medical home availability affects primary care utilization by CSHCN.

published proceedings

  • J Pediatr Health Care

author list (cited authors)

  • Willits, K. A., Platonova, E. A., Nies, M. A., Racine, E. F., Troutman, M. L., & Harris, H. L.

citation count

  • 14

complete list of authors

  • Willits, Kathryn Ann||Platonova, Elena A||Nies, Mary A||Racine, Elizabeth F||Troutman, Meredith L||Harris, Henry L

publication date

  • May 2013