Access to the medical home: new findings from the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs

Which components of medical homes reduce the time burden on families of children with special health care needs?

OBJECTIVES

To examine which components of medical homes affect time families spend arranging/coordinating health care for their children with special health care needs (CSHCNs) and providing health care at home.

DATA SOURCES

2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN), a population-based survey of 40,242 CSHCNs.

STUDY DESIGN

NS-CSHCN is a cross-sectional, observational study. We used generalized ordered logistic regression, testing for nonproportional odds in the associations between each of five medical home components and time burden, controlling for insurance, child health, and sociodemographics.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS

Medical home components were collected using Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative definitions.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Family-centered care, care coordination, and obtaining needed referrals were associated with 15-32 percent lower odds of time burdens arranging/coordinating and 16-19 percent lower odds providing health care. All five components together were associated with lower odds of time burdens, with greater reductions for higher burdens providing care.

CONCLUSIONS

Three of the five medical home components were associated with lower family time burdens arranging/coordinating and providing health care for children with chronic conditions. If the 55 percent of CSHCNs lacking medical homes had one, the share of families with time burdens arranging care could be reduced by 13 percent.

A comparison of individual- versus practice-level measures of the medical home

OBJECTIVE

To determine the association between a widely used individual-level assessment of the medical home derived from parental perception and practice-level assessment of the medical home.

METHODS

Thirty parents at each of 6 Boston-area community health centers (CHCs) were administered the 19-question medical home measure of the 2011 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). Each CHC was scored in accordance with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) 2011 Patient-Centered Medical Home Standards and Guidelines. Bivariate analysis of the independent variables against the dependent variable (the NCQA measure, assessed as both a continuous score and a categorical tier) was performed. Linear and logistical regression models accounting for the cluster design were then constructed, with the NSCH measure as the primary predictor.

RESULTS

Of the 180 parents, 52% had a medical home according to the NSCH criteria. Of the 6 CHCs, 5 were a medical home according to the NCQA Standards (2 at Tier 3, 3 at Tier 2). Regression modeling demonstrated nonsignificant associations between both the continuous and categorical (tier) NCQA scores and the NSCH assessment of the medical home, with a β of -2.80 (95% confidence interval, -7.75 to 13.35) and an adjusted odds ratio of 2.17 (95% confidence interval, 0.82 to 5.74), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

There was no significant association between the individual-level and practice-level assessments of the medical home. Given this discrepancy, our results suggest that we may need to temper our expectations that the medical home transformation currently being implemented at the practice level will lead to the child health and health care utilization outcomes extensively demonstrated in the literature.

Barriers to care for children with orofacial clefts in North Carolina

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the barriers faced by families of children with birth defects in obtaining healthcare. We examined reported perceived barriers to care and satisfaction with care among mothers of children with orofacial clefts.

METHODS

In 2006, a validated barriers to care mail/phone survey was administered in North Carolina to all resident mothers of children with orofacial clefts born between 2001 and 2004. Potential participants were identified using the North Carolina Birth Defects Monitoring Program, an active, state-wide, population-based birth defects registry. Five barriers to care subscales were examined: pragmatics, skills, marginalization, expectations, and knowledge/beliefs. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Results were stratified by cleft type and presence of other birth defects.

RESULTS

Of 475 eligible participants, 51.6% (n = 245) responded. The six most commonly reported perceived barriers to care were all part of the pragmatics subscale: having to take time off work (45.3%); long waits in the waiting rooms (37.6%); taking care of household responsibilities (29.7%); meeting other family members' needs (29.5%); waiting too many days for appointments (27.0%); and cost (25.0%). Most respondents (72.3%, 175/242) felt "very satisfied" with their child's cleft care.

CONCLUSION

Although most participants reported being satisfied with their child's care, many perceived barriers to care were identified. Due to the limited understanding and paucity of research on barriers to care for children with birth defects, including orofacial clefts, additional research on barriers to care and factors associated with them are needed.

Family-centered care for children with cerebral palsy: conceptual and practical considerations to advance care and practice

This article focuses on conceptual and practical considerations in family-centered care for children with cerebral palsy and their families. In the last 5 years, there have been important advances in our understanding of the components of family-centered care, and initial attempts to understand the client change processes at play. Recent research elaborates on family-centered care by delving into aspects of family-provider partnership, and applying family-centered principles to organizational service delivery to bring about organizational cultures of family-centered care. Recent research has also begun to consider mediators of client change, and new practice models have been proposed that embrace family-centered principles and illustrate the "art" of practice. Future research directions are discussed, including explorations of causal relationships between family-centered care principles, elements of caregiving practice, client change processes, and child and family outcomes. The meaning of the recent literature for pediatric neurology practice is considered.

Racial Health Disparities Among Special Health Care Needs Children With Mental Disorders

Background: A health care reform has been taking place to provide cost-effective and coordinated care. One method of achieving these goals is a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model, which is associated with provision of quality care among children belonging to racial/ethnic minorities. Despite the potential of the PCMH for children of minority backgrounds, little is known about the extent to which minorities with mental disorders have the PCMH. Objective: The study examined racial/ethnic disparities among children with mental disorders in accessing care from the PCMH. Methods: The 2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) was used for this analysis. Multivariate logistic regressions were applied to capture the racial/ethnic disparities and to analyze a composite outcome of the PCMH. Results: An estimated population size of 4 677 904 CSHCN with mental disorders was included. Among them, 59.94% of children reported to have received medical homes. Compared with white children, the odds of receiving any medical home services decreased among Hispanic children (odds ratio [OR] = 0.69; P < .05) and black children (OR = 0.70; P < .05). The likelihood of having a medical home was lower for Hispanic children than white children, when they had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; OR = 0.57; P < .05) and development delay (OR = 0.73; P < .05). Compared with white children with ADHD or depression having a medical home, the odds of black children with ADHD (OR = 0.63; P < .05) and depression (OR = 0.68; P < .05) having a medical home were lower. Conclusions: There were significant racial/ethnic disparities among CSHCN with mental disorders, indicating several sizeable effects of each of the 5 components on Hispanic, black, and other children compared with white children. These differences could be a potential to improve racial/ethnic disparities.

Reasons for unmet need for child and family health services among children with special health care needs with and without medical homes

OBJECTIVES

Medical homes, an important component of U.S. health reform, were first developed to help families of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) find and coordinate services, and reduce their children's unmet need for health services. We hypothesize that CSHCN lacking medical homes are more likely than those with medical homes to report health system delivery or coverage problems as the specific reasons for unmet need.

METHODS

Data are from the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN), a national, population-based survey of 40,723 CSHCN. We studied whether lacking a medical home was associated with 9 specific reasons for unmet need for 11 types of medical services, controlling for health insurance, child's health, and sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

Weighted to the national population, 17% of CSHCN reported at least one unmet health service need in the previous year. CSHCN without medical homes were 2 to 3 times as likely to report unmet need for child or family health services, and more likely to report no referral (OR= 3.3), dissatisfaction with provider (OR=2.5), service not available in area (OR= 2.1), can't find provider who accepts insurance (OR=1.8), and health plan problems (OR=1.4) as reasons for unmet need (all p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

CSHCN without medical homes were more likely than those with medical homes to report health system delivery or coverage reasons for unmet child health service needs. Attributable risk estimates suggest that if the 50% of CSHCN who lacked medical homes had one, overall unmet need for child health services could be reduced by as much as 35% and unmet need for family health services by 40%.

The Postpediatrician Transition

A variety of factors impacts the transition from childhood to adulthood for persons with special health care needs or disabilities. Among these are the barriers in care coordination associated with our bifurcated health care delivery system in which pediatric medicine does not smoothly link up with the medical care received by adults. After reviewing the literature, we discuss the strong case to be made for reconceptualizing the medical home model, introducing a life span perspective to resolve the postpediatrician transition. Rather than a “hand off” from pediatrician to adult provider, this approach provides a pathway to fully integrating this patient population into our evolving health care system.

Racial/ethnic differences in hospital use and cost among a statewide population of children with Down syndrome

Children with Down syndrome (DS) use hospital services more often than children without DS, but data on racial/ethnic variations are limited. This study generated population-based estimates of hospital use and cost to 3 years of age by race/ethnicity among children with DS in Massachusetts using birth certificates linked to birth defects registry and hospital discharge data from 1999 to 2004. Hospital use (≥ 1 post-birth hospitalization and median days hospitalized birth and post-birth) and reasons for hospitalization were compared across maternal race/ethnicity using relative risk (RR) and Wilcoxon rank sums tests, as appropriate. Costs were calculated in 2011 United States dollars. Greater hospital use was observed among children with DS with Hispanic vs. Non-Hispanic White (NHW) mothers (post-birth hospitalization: RR 1.4; median days hospitalized: 20.0 vs. 11.0, respectively). Children with DS and congenital heart defects of Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) mothers had significantly greater median days hospitalized than their NHW counterparts (24.0 vs. 16.0, respectively). Respiratory diagnoses were listed more often among children with Hispanic vs. NHW mothers (50.0% vs. 29.1%, respectively), and NHBs had more cardiac diagnoses (34.1% vs. 21.5%, respectively). The mean total hospital cost was nine times higher among children with DS ($40,075) than among children without DS ($4053), and total costs attributable to DS were almost $18 million. Median costs were $22,781 for Hispanics, $18,495 for NHBs, and $13,947 for NHWs. Public health interventions should address the higher rates of hospital use and hospitalizations for respiratory and cardiac diseases among racial/ethnic minority children with DS in Massachusetts.

Modeling travel impedance to medical care for children with birth defects using Geographic Information Systems

BACKGROUND

Children with birth defects may face significant geographic barriers accessing medical care and specialized services. Using a Geographic Information Systems-based approach, one-way travel time and distance to access medical care for children born with spina bifida was estimated.

METHODS

Using 2007 road information from the Florida Department of Transportation, we built a topological network of Florida roads. Live-born Florida infants with spina bifida during 1998 to 2007 were identified by the Florida Birth Defects Registry and linked to hospital discharge records. Maternal residence at delivery and hospitalization locations were identified during the first year of life.

RESULTS

Of 668 infants with spina bifida, 8.1% (n = 54) could not be linked to inpatient data, resulting in 614 infants. Of those 614 infants, 99.7% (n = 612) of the maternal residential addresses at delivery were successfully geocoded. Infants with spina bifida living in rural areas in Florida experienced travel times almost twice as high compared with those living in urban areas. When aggregated at county levels, one-way network travel times exhibited statistically significant spatial autocorrelation, indicating that families living in some clusters of counties experienced substantially greater travel times compared with families living in other areas of Florida.

CONCLUSION

This analysis demonstrates the usefulness of linking birth defects registry and hospital discharge data to examine geographic differences in access to medical care. Geographic Information Systems methods are important in evaluating accessibility and geographic barriers to care and could be used among children with special health care needs, including children with birth defects.

A sensitivity analysis of the Children's Treatment Network trial: a randomized controlled trial of integrated services versus usual care for children with special health care needs

Background

The value of integrated care through comprehensive, coordinated, and family-centered services has been increasingly recognized for improving health outcomes of children with special health care needs (CSHCN). In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), the integrated care provided through the Children’s Treatment Network (CTN) was compared with usual care in improving the psychosocial health of target CSHCN. In this paper, we aimed to estimate the effect of CTN care by conducting multiple analyses to handle noncompliance in the trial.

Methods

The trial recruited target children in Simcoe County and York Region, ON, Canada. Children were randomized to receive CTN or usual care and were followed for 2 years. The CTN group received integrated services through multiple providers to address their specific needs while the usual care group continued to receive care directed by their parents. The outcome was change in psychosocial quality of life at 2 years. We conducted intention-to-treat, as-treated, per-protocol, and instrumental variable analyses to analyze the outcome.

Results

The trial randomized 445 children, with 229 in the intervention group and 216 in the control group. During follow-up, 52% of children in the intervention group did not receive complete CTN care for various reasons. At 2 years, we did not find a significant improvement in psychosocial quality of life among the children receiving CTN care compared with usual care (intention-to-treat mean difference 1.50, 95% confidence interval −1.49 to 4.50; P = 0.32). Other methods of analysis yielded similar results.

Conclusion

Although the effect of CTN care was not significant, there was evidence showing benefits of integrated care for CSHCN. More RCTs are needed to demonstrate the magnitude of such an effect. The CTN study highlights the key challenges in RCTs when assessing interventions involving integrated care, and informs further RCTs including similar evaluations.

Do unmet needs differ geographically for children with special health care needs?

The purpose of this study was to identify geographic differences in health indicators for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). It was hypothesized that geographic differences in unmet health care needs exist among CSHCN by region in the United States. Data were obtained from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, 2005-2006. Nine variables representing unmet needs were analyzed by geographic region. The region with the highest percent of unmet needs was identified for each service. Logistic regression was utilized to determine differences by region after controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, race, federal poverty level, relationship of responder to child, insurance status, severity of condition, and size of household. A total of 40,723 CSHCN were represented. Crude analysis demonstrated that the greatest unmet need for routine preventive care, specialist care, prescription medications, physical/occupational/speech therapy, mental health care, and genetic counseling occurred in the West. The greatest unmet need for preventive dental care, respite care, and vision care occurred in the South. Significant differences between regions remained for six of the nine services after controlling for potential confounders. Geographic differences in unmet health care needs exist for CSHCN. Further delving into these differences provides valuable information for program and policy planning and development. Meeting the needs of CSHCN is important to reduce cost burden and improve quality of life for the affected child and care providers.

Factors associated with distance and time traveled to cleft and craniofacial care

BACKGROUND

Information on travel distance and time to care for children with birth defects is lacking. We examined factors associated with travel distance and time to cleft care among children with orofacial clefts.

METHODS

In 2006, a mail/phone survey was administered in English and Spanish to all resident mothers of children with orofacial clefts born 2001 to 2004 and identified by the North Carolina birth defects registry. We analyzed one-way travel distance and time and the extent to which taking a child to care was a problem. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between selected sociodemographic factors and travel distance (≤60 miles and >60 miles) and time (≤60 min and >60 min) to cleft care.

RESULTS

Of 475 eligible participants, 51.6% (n = 245) responded. Of the respondents, 97.1% (n = 238) were the child's biological mother. Approximately 83% (n = 204) of respondents were non-Hispanic White; 33.3% (n = 81) were college educated; and 50.0% (n = 115) had private health insurance. One-way mean and median travel distances were 80 and 50 miles, respectively (range, 0-1058 miles). One-way mean and median travel times were 92 and 60 min, respectively (range, 5 min to 8 hr). After adjusting for selected sociodemographics, travel distance varied significantly by maternal education, child's age, and cleft type. Travel time varied significantly by child's age. Approximately 67% (n = 162) reported taking their child to receive care was not a problem.

CONCLUSION

Approximately 48% of respondents traveled > 1 hr to receive cleft care. Increasing access to care may be important for improving health outcomes among this population.

Hearing difficulties in children with special health care needs

OBJECTIVE

To determine characteristics of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) with hearing difficulties including patterns of hearing aid use, comorbidity, and social and communication function.

METHODS

Bivariate and multivariable analysis of cross-sectional data on 40,723 children aged from birth to 17 years from the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, including 1,982 (5%) with parent-reported hearing difficulties.

RESULTS

Among CSHCN, 383 (1%) used hearing aids, representing 20% of those with reported hearing difficulties. Odds of hearing aid use increased with age, primary language other than English, and lower income. More than half (58%) of the aided children reported hearing difficulties even with their aid. Among CSHCN with cerebral palsy, 13% had reported hearing difficulties and 3% used hearing aids. Equivalent figures for children with Down syndrome were 24% and 4%, mental retardation/developmental delay 12% and 5%, and autism spectrum disorder 9% and 2%. Overall, two-thirds of CSHCN with hearing difficulties had one or more sensory/developmental comorbidities; CSHCN with both hearing difficulties and a sensory/developmental comorbidity had highest odds of learning difficulties, speaking/communication difficulties, feeling anxious/depressed, acting out/bullying, and difficulty making friends. CSHCN with hearing difficulties alone, or sensory/developmental conditions alone had intermediate odds, after socio-demographic adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

Sensory/developmental comorbidities are common among CSHCN with hearing difficulties, and they are associated with higher odds of poorer social, communication, and educational function. Services for CSHCN must be equipped to address a range of hearing difficulties as well as sensory/developmental comorbidities and to improve social/emotional functioning as well as learning and communication.

Residential movement patterns of families of young children with chronic conditions in Ontario, Canada: a population-based cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Care giving for children with chronic diseases can lead to financial strain and compromised family well being. Little is known about whether these stresses lead to changes in residential movement patterns as they relate to income adequacy and proximity to care.

METHODS

We compared the residential movement patterns and associated changes in neighbourhood income of children with mild to severe chronic diseases compared with those that are healthy. A cohort of infants born from 2002-2007 in Ontario, Canada was followed for 5 years and divided into those with single- or multiple- body system complex chronic conditions (CCCs); low birth weight (LBW); asthma/recurrent wheeze (A/RW) and the control group of otherwise healthy children.

RESULTS

Of 598,716 children studied, 15,207 had a single CCC, 3,600 multiple CCCs, 33,206 LBW, 57,137 A/RW and 489,566 were healthy. Lowest income quintile children were most likely to move residence. Compared with healthy controls, chronic disease cohorts, apart from those with asthma, were more likely to be born in the lowest income quintile neighbourhood and to move. Among children who moved, all chronic disease cohorts were significantly more likely to move to a low income quintile neighborhood (adjusted odds ratios for all chronic disease cohorts of 1.1-1.2). There were no differences across cohorts in residential movement close to a children's hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

Young children with chronic conditions, particularly those born in low income neighbourhoods, are more likely to move residence than other healthy young children. However, it does not seem that proximity to specialized care is driving this movement. Further research is required to determine if these movement patterns impact the ability of children with chronic conditions to secure health services.

Medical home disparities are not created equal: differences in the medical home for children from different vulnerable groups

OBJECTIVE

To identify components of the medical home that contribute to medical home disparities for vulnerable children.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analysis of 2007 National Survey of Children's Health. Prevalence of components of the medical home were estimated by special health care needs (SHCN), race/ethnicity, primary language, and health insurance.

RESULTS

Medical home disparities for children with SHCN were driven by differences in getting help with care coordination, when needed (71% vs. 91% children without SHCN, p<.001). Medical home disparities for other groups were largely attributable to less family-centered care (Hispanic 49% and African American 55% vs. White 77%, p<.001; non-English primary language 37% vs. English 72%, p<.001; uninsured 45% and publicly insured 57% vs. privately insured 75%, p<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The components of the medical home that contribute to medical home disparities differ between groups of vulnerable children. Medical home implementation may benefit from focusing on the specific needs of target populations.

The voices of limited English proficiency Latina mothers on pediatric primary care: lessons for the medical home

The objective of this study is to inform medical home implementation in practices serving limited English proficiency Latino families by exploring limited English proficiency Latina mothers' experiences with, and expectations for, pediatric primary care. In partnership with a federally-qualified community health center in an urban Latino neighborhood, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 38 low-income Latina mothers. Eligible participants identified a pediatric primary care provider for their child and had at least one child 3 years old or younger, to increase the probability of frequent recent interactions with health care providers. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed through an iterative and collaborative process to identify participants' satisfaction with and expectations for pediatric primary care. About half of the mothers interviewed were satisfied with their primary care experiences. Mothers suggested many ways to improve the quality of pediatric primary care for their children to better meet the needs of their families. These included: encouraging providers to invest more in their relationship with families, providing reliable same-day sick care, expanding hours, improving access to language services, and improving care coordination services. Limited English proficiency Latina mothers expect high-quality pediatric primary care consistent with the medical home model. Current efforts to improve primary care quality through application of the medical home model are thus relevant to this population, but should focus on the parent-provider relationship and timely access to care. Promoting this model among practices that serve limited English proficiency Latino families could improve engagement and satisfaction with primary care.

Access to patient-centered medical home among Ohio's Children with Special Health Care Needs

Medical homes deliver primary care that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family centered, coordinated, compassionate and culturally effective. Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) require a wide range of support to maintain health, making medical home access particularly important. We sought to understand independent risk factors for lacking access. We analyzed Ohio, USA data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (2005-2006). Among CSHCN, 55.6% had medical home access. The proportion achieving each medical home component was highest for having a personal doctor/nurse and lowest for receiving coordinated care, family-centered care and referrals. Specific subsets of CSHCN were significantly and independently more likely to lack medical home access: Hispanic (AOR=3.08), moderate/high severity of difficulty (AOR=2.84), and any public insurance (AOR=1.60). Efforts to advance medical home access must give special attention to these CSHCN populations and improvements must be made to referral access, family-centered care, and care coordination.

Are components of the medical home differentially associated with child health care utilization, health, and health promoting behavior outcomes?

OBJECTIVE

To determine if specific components of the medical home are differentially associated with beneficial child outcomes.

METHODS

Logistic regression was used to model each component (family-centeredness, comprehensive care, and care coordination) with health care utilization, child health, and health promoting behaviors in 81 232 subjects from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health.

RESULTS

Family-centeredness was associated with increased odds of children being read to (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.16). Comprehensive care was associated with decreased outpatient (aOR = 0.70) and emergency department (aOR = 0.79) sick visits and with increased child health per parental assessment (aOR = 1.50). Care coordination was associated with increased preventive care visits (aOR = 1.41) and increased outpatient (aOR = 1.21) and emergency department (aOR = 1.24) sick visits. Stratification by special health care needs demonstrated similar findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Comprehensive care was associated with improved child health and health care utilization. Prospective studies are needed to further investigate the differential impact of components of the medical home on child health.

Medical home and pediatric primary care utilization among children with special health care needs

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 with special 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.

Quality and equity of primary care with patient-centered medical homes: results from a national survey

BACKGROUND

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model has gained support, but the impact of this model on the quality and equity of care merits further evaluation.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if PCMHs are associated with improved quality and equity in pediatric primary care.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Using the 2007/2008 National Survey of Children's Health, a nationally representative survey of parents/guardians of children (age, 0-17 y), we evaluated the association of PCMHs with 10 quality-of-care measures using multivariable regression models, adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic covariates. For quality indicators that were significantly associated with medical homes, we determined if this association differed by race/ethnicity.

RESULTS

Compared with children without medical homes, those with medical homes had significantly better adjusted rates for 6 of 10 quality measures (all P≤0.02), such as obtaining a developmental history [adjusted rates % (SE): 41.7 (1.3) vs. 52.0 (1.1), P<0.001]. Having a medical home was associated with better adjusted rates of receiving a developmental history exam for both white and black children, but the disparity between these groups was not significantly narrowed [difference in risk differences (SE): 0.9 (4.3) for whites vs. blacks; P=0.83].

CONCLUSIONS

Our results underscore the benefits of the medical home model for children while highlighting areas for improvement, such as narrowing disparities. Our findings also emphasize the key role of patient experience measures in the evaluation of medical homes.

The medical home experience among children with sickle cell disease

BACKGROUND

While a large body of research documents acute care services for children with sickle cell disease (SCD), little is known about the primary care experiences of this population. The goal of this study was to determine to what extent children with SCD experienced care consistent with a patient-centered medical home (PCMH).

PROCEDURE

We collected and analyzed data from 150 children, ages 1-17 years, who received care within a large children's hospital. The primary dependent variable was access to a PCMH or its four individual components (regular provider, comprehensive care, family-centered care, and coordinated care) as determined by parental report. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to investigate associations between socio-demographic variables and having access to a PCMH.

RESULTS

Only 11% (16/150) of children qualified as having a PCMH, achieving the required thresholds in all four components. Approximately half of children had access to two or fewer components. Over 90% of children were reported to have a personal provider. Two-thirds of children had access to comprehensive care. Almost 60% of children were reported to receive family-centered care. Only 20% of children had access to coordinated care. No consistent associations were found between socio-demographic variables and having access to a PCMH or its individual components.

CONCLUSIONS

Within our study sample, children with SCD experienced multiple deficiencies in having access to a PCMH, particularly with respect to care coordination. However, further studies with larger samples are needed to determine associations between socio-demographic variables and having a PCMH.

Presence of medical home and school attendance: an analysis of the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children With Special Healthcare Needs

BACKGROUND

Children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN) tend to miss more school because of illness. Medical homes are a model of primary health care that coordinate services to better meet the needs of the child. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between presence of medical home and missed school days among CSHCN.

METHODS

A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2005 National Survey of Children With Special Healthcare Needs (NS-CSHCN) was conducted. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was done to analyze the relationship between presence of a medical home and number of missed school days.

RESULTS

The presence of a medical home among CSHCN was associated with being in the highest category of missed school days. The adjusted odds ratios for the number of missed school days, after adjustment for poverty, metropolitan statistical area status, education in the household, age, race and ethnicity, demonstrated that access to a medical home does not decrease school absences.

CONCLUSION

Although the data did not support the hypothesis that CSHCN with a medical home would have fewer missed school days due to illness, this study does evoke future research questions, such as what is the relationship between parental perception of child health status with number of missed school days and how adequate is the communication between families and healthcare providers in the medical home.

Receipt of preventive health services in young adults

PURPOSE

To examine self-reported rates and disparities in delivery of preventive services to young adults.

METHODS

A population-based cross-sectional analysis, of 3,670 and 3,621 young adults aged 18-26 years who responded to California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) in 2005 and CHIS 2007, respectively. The main outcome measures were self-reported receipt of flu vaccination, sexually transmitted disease (STD) screening, cholesterol screening, diet counseling, exercise counseling, and emotional health screening. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine how age, gender, race/ethnicity, income, insurance, and usual source of care influence the receipt of preventive services.

RESULTS

Delivery rates ranged from 16.7% (flu vaccine) to 50.6% (cholesterol screening). Being female and having a usual source of care significantly increased receipt of services, with female participants more likely to receive STD screening (p < .001), cholesterol screening (p < .01), emotional health screening (p < .001), diet counseling (p < .01), and exercise counseling (p < .05) than male participants after controlling for age, race/ethnicity, income, insurance, and usual source of care. Young adults with a usual source of care were more likely to receive a flu vaccine (p < .05), STD screening (p < .01), cholesterol screening (p < .001), diet counseling (p < .05), and exercise counseling (p < .05) than those without a usual source of care after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, income, and insurance.

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of preventive services delivery are generally low. Greater efforts are needed to develop guidelines for young adults to increase the delivery of preventive care to this age-group, and to address the gender and ethnic/racial disparities in preventive services delivery.

Medical home quality and readmission risk for children hospitalized with asthma exacerbations

OBJECTIVE

The medical home likely has a positive effect on outpatient outcomes for children with asthma. However, no information is available regarding the impact of medical home quality on health care utilization after hospitalizations. We sought to explore the relationship between medical home quality and readmission risk in children hospitalized for asthma exacerbations.

METHODS

We enrolled 601 children, aged 1 to 16 years, hospitalized for an acute asthma exacerbation at a single pediatric facility that captures >85% of all asthma admissions in an 8-county area. Caregivers completed the Parent's Perception of Primary Care (P3C), a Likert-based, validated survey. The P3C yields a total score of medical home quality and 6 subscale scores assessing continuity, access, contextual knowledge, comprehensiveness, communication, and coordination. Asthma readmission events were prospectively collected via billing data. Hazards of readmission were calculated by using Cox proportional hazards adjusting for chronic asthma severity and key measures of socioeconomic status.

RESULTS

Overall P3C score was not associated with readmission. Among the subscale comparisons, only children with lowest access had a statistically increased readmission risk compared with children with the best access. Subgroup analysis revealed that children with private insurance and good access had the lowest rates of readmission within a year compared with other combinations of insurance and access.

CONCLUSIONS

Among measured aspects of medical home in a cohort of hospitalized children with asthma, having poor access to a medical home was the only measure associated with increased readmission. Improving physician access for children with asthma may lower hospital readmission.

Developmental and autism screening through 2-1-1: reaching underserved families

BACKGROUND

Developmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), are increasing in prevalence. Early identification is necessary for early intervention, which is critical for reducing challenges and lifetime costs, especially for ASDs. Because not all children have equal access to developmental and autism screening through primary care settings, nontraditional methods are needed to reach underserved populations.

PURPOSE

In this proof-of-concept study, the 2-1-1 Los Angeles County Developmental Screening Project (2-1-1 LA Project) provided developmental and autism screening by telephone in a population of low-income and racially and ethnically diverse children.

METHODS

Aggregate data were reviewed for 2845 children who were screened for developmental delays using the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) instrument and/or autism using the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) instrument between September 1, 2009, and October 31, 2011.

RESULTS

Data analysis was conducted December 2011 through February 2012. A majority of children (56%) screened with the PEDS had a moderate to high risk of developmental delays, including 28.2% classified as high-risk, which indicates need for further evaluation. Among 1605 children screened with the M-CHAT, 21.2% had an elevated risk of ASDs. Follow-up care coordination was provided for 2625 children to facilitate completion of referrals for diagnostic evaluation, early childhood education, and other developmental or behavioral needs.

CONCLUSIONS

The project's approach enhanced access to screenings and referral uptake in a population of children that may have difficulty accessing primary care. Findings suggest the potential of nontraditional developmental screening models.

Does a medical home mediate racial disparities in unmet healthcare needs among children with special healthcare needs?

This study extends mediation analysis techniques to explore whether and to what extent differential access to a medical home explains the black/white disparity in unmet healthcare needs among children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN). Data were obtained from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, with analyses limited to non-Hispanic white and black CSHCN (n = 14,677). The counterfactual approach to mediation analysis was used to estimate odds ratios for the natural direct and indirect effects of race on unmet healthcare needs. Overall, 43.0 % of white CSHCN and 60.4 % of black CSHCN did not have a medical home. Additionally, 8.8 % of white CSHCN and 15.3 % of black CSHCN had unmet healthcare needs. The natural indirect effect indicates that the odds of unmet needs among black CSHCN are elevated by approximately 20 % as a result of their current level of access to the medical home rather than access at a level equal to white CSHCN (OR(NIE) = 1.2, 95 % CI = 1.1, 1.3). The natural direct effect indicates that even if black CSHCN had the same level of access to a medical home as white CSHCN, blacks would still have 60 % higher odds of unmet healthcare needs than whites (OR(NDE) = 1.6, 95 % CI = 1.1, 2.4). The racial disparity in unmet healthcare needs among CSHCN is only partially explained by disparities in having a medical home. Ensuring all CSHCN have equal access to a medical home may reduce the racial disparity in unmet needs, but will not completely eliminate it.

Does the patient-centred medical home work? A critical synthesis of research on patient-centred medical homes and patient-related outcomes

Health-care systems in the USA and most of western Europe face challenges in the coordination and integration of care for patients, particularly those with chronic conditions. In response to these problems, interest in the patient-centred medical home (PCMH) model has increased significantly in recent years in the USA, with PCMH implementation underway in a wide variety of practice settings across the country. Despite this enthusiasm, there have been relatively few attempts to examine the empirical evidence on the effects of PCMH on quality and access-related outcomes for patients. This article reviews findings from empirical evaluations of the effects of PCMH on patient-related outcomes and critically examines methodological and conceptual issues in the growing body of PCMH literature. The results of this review suggest that published evaluations are predominantly weighted towards findings that indicate that PCMH is associated with a wide range of positive patient outcomes. However, methodological and measurement issues present in much of this research should be considered when evaluating these findings. The article concludes with recommendations for future PCMH evaluation.

Are services to tennessee children with special health care needs comparable with national achievement of MCHB objectives?

OBJECTIVE

We assessed experiences of families with children with special health care needs already engaged with Tennessee Children's Special Services or a family advocacy agency, family voices, and compared their experiences with national data to determine achievement of national maternal-child health objectives.

DESIGN AND SAMPLE

Using a descriptive/comparison design, Tennessee families engaged with the state or advocacy agency (n = 816) were compared with the 2005-2006 sample of the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (n = 40,840) and the Tennessee subsample (n = 794).

MEASURES

Primary data were obtained from a survey of families associated with either Tennessee agency. Secondary data analysis used raw data from the national survey.

RESULTS

All families reported challenges related to time, finances, and family interactions. Most were satisfied with health care services received. Dental care was an issue for all families, but more so for the agencies' sample. Those families also reported more problems with continuous screenings of their affected child and less coordination of care than the national sample.

CONCLUSIONS

Examining the experiences of families with special needs children who receive services from state agencies in the national context contributes to improving family-centered services and achieving Maternal-Child Health Bureau objectives.

Regional variations in early intervention utilization for children with developmental delay

We tested whether state-level variations in early intervention program (EI) participation were consistent with rates of key risk factors for early developmental delay. Based on the results of prior studies, we focused on child poverty and low birth weight as risk factors, included state threshold for EI eligibility by category (classified as broad/moderate or narrow), and aggregated the states into regions. Bivariate analyses were done in SPSS 15.0. All data were for 2009. Results were tested against data for prior years to ascertain whether findings for 2009 were anomalous. Nationally, 2.67 % of the age-eligible population was served in EI (range among states, 1.24-6.51 %). Variation in EI participation was significant at the regional level. Early intervention participation was lowest in the south and highest in the northeast (p < 0.01). Regional variations in low birth weight (p < 0.01) and child poverty (p < 0.01) were also significant. Both were highest in the south. While EI participation varied significantly by state eligibility standards, this factor did not entirely explain variance in utilization. Results for 2009 were representative of multi-year trend data. National EI utilization rates consistently lagged behind need as identified in epidemiologic studies from multiple sources. The results strongly suggest that there is a significant population of infants and toddlers who need but do not receive EI services, especially in the south.

Racial and ethnic disparities in quality of health care among children with autism and other developmental disabilities

We examined racial and ethnic disparities in quality of care for children with autism and other developmental disabilities and whether disparities varied for children with autism compared to children with other developmental disabilities. Analyzing data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (N  =  4,414), we compared Black and Latino children to White children. We found racial and ethnic disparities on 5 of 6 quality outcomes. The interaction between race and disability status indicated that disparities in quality indicators were exacerbated among families of children with autism. These analyses suggest that children with autism, particularly those who are Latino and Black, face greater challenges in receiving high-quality health care.

Integrated personal health record use: association with parent-reported care experiences

OBJECTIVE

To examine integrated personal health record (PHR) use patterns among parents of children with chronic disease and compare ratings of care experiences between integrated PHR users and nonusers.

METHODS

A survey was mailed to 600 randomly selected parents of children with chronic disease ≤ 5 years old and enrolled at Group Health for ≥ 1 year. Respondents reported integrated PHR use in the past 12 months, types of services used, or reasons for nonuse. We measured parent ratings of care experiences by using Consumer Assessments of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) composite measures: Attention to Growth and Development, Attention to Safety and Health, Getting Care Quickly, Getting Needed Care, Prescription Medications, and Care Coordination. We used multivariate logistic regression to test the association between integrated PHR use and each CAHPS composite measure dichotomized by using the top box score method.

RESULTS

Of 256 respondents (43% eligible response rate), 166 (65%) were integrated PHR users and 90 (35%) were nonusers. The top integrated PHR services used were viewing immunization records, viewing medical records, secured messaging, and scheduling appointments. The top reasons for not using the integrated PHR were "too busy," "forgot login/password," and "my child does not have health care needs." Adjusted logistic regression did not reveal any significant differences between users and nonusers.

CONCLUSIONS

Parents of children with chronic disease appear willing to use an integrated PHR to address health care needs for their child. Integrated PHR use was not associated with higher scores on CAHPS composite measures in this health plan.

Health care of Latino children with autism and other developmental disabilities: quality of provider interaction mediates utilization

This study examines access to, utilization of, and quality of health care for Latino children with autism and other developmental disabilities. We analyze data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (N  =  4,414 children with autism and other developmental disabilities). Compared with White children, Latino children with autism and other developmental disabilities had a consistent pattern of worse health care access, utilization, and quality. We then test mediation models to determine if health care quality mediates the relationship between ethnicity and health care utilization disparities. Three of four quality indicators (provider does not spend enough time with child, provider is not culturally sensitive, and provider does not make parent feel like a partner) were significant mediators. These analyses suggest that interventions targeted at improving providers' cultural sensitivity and behavior during the clinical encounter may reduce disparities in the health care utilization of Latino children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Coping among parents of children with special health care needs with and without a health care home

INTRODUCTION

Having a health care home has been shown to be associated with positive health outcomes for children with special health care needs (CSHCN), but its relationship to parental coping has not been established. The purpose of this study was to explore the health care home as a process of care related to parental coping with day-to-day demands of raising a CSHCN.

METHOD

Data are from a sample of 18,352 CSHCN in the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health. Using the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use as a framework, this secondary analysis explored relationships between child and household factors and parental coping among CSHCN with and without a health care home.

RESULTS

CSHCN in a health care home were more likely to have parents who were coping well. Parents who received sufficient care coordination were more satisfied with provider communication, and those who reported that care was family-centered reported better coping.

DISCUSSION

Results suggest that the health care home represents a process of care that may help families manage the daily demands of caring for CSHCN through family-centered care, provider-to-provider communication, and provision of care coordination.

Maternal Perspectives: Qualitative Responses about Perceived Barriers to Care among Children with Orofacial Clefts in North Carolina

Objective

To examine maternal perceptions of barriers to care of children with orofacial clefts (OFC) in a population-based survey that solicited open-ended qualitative responses.

Design and Setting

In 2006, a combination mail/phone survey was sent to all mothers of children with OFC. The questionnaire included 76 items. A final open-ended question was included for additional information about cleft-related care. The analysis included responses to the open-ended question and sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents. Qualitative responses were transcribed and entered into a qualitative software package for analysis, and common themes were elucidated.

Participants/Patients

The North Carolina Birth Defects Monitoring Program was used to identify all resident infants born with OFC from 2001 to 2004. Of 478 eligible mothers, 52.9% (n = 248) responded to the survey, and 39.5% (n = 98) responded to the final open-ended question.

Main Outcome Measures

Percentage reporting problems accessing care, frequency of positive and negative comments, and indicators of financial, personal, and structural barriers to care.

Results

Of the 98 respondents, the majority (n = 95, 96.99%) were the biological mother. Almost 40% of mothers indicated that accessing primary craniofacial care was a problem. Of those citing perceived barriers to care, the major issues cited were financial, structural, and personal barriers.

Conclusions

Collaborative efforts between craniofacial centers and teams, health care systems, and birth defects registries are warranted to reduce perceived barriers to care among families of children with OFC. Further exploration of the themes and factors associated with barriers to care and services is needed.

Medical home disparities for Latino children by parental language of interview

Examination of Latino children in aggregate ignores important subgroup differences due to the parents' English language ability. Previous reports of the pediatric medical home have not stratified Latino children by parental language differences to compare the two groups directly. We analyzed the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health to determine medical home prevalence among Latino children, stratified by language of parental interview. Most Latino children with a Spanish-language parental interview had a usual source of care, but only one-quarter had a medical home. Striking medical home disparities persisted for Latino children with a Spanish-language interview, even after adjustment for potential confounders. Lack of a medical home was associated with disparities in the quality of care, more so than access disparities. Addressing health care disparities for Latino children requires particular attention to the unique needs of Latino children with parents who may experience language barriers during health care encounters.

Medical home disparities for children by insurance type and state of residence

The objectives of this study are (1) to compare the prevalence of a medical home between children with public and private insurance across states, (2) to investigate the association between a medical home and state health care characteristics for children with public and private insurance. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, estimating the prevalence of parents' report of a medical home and its components for publicly- and privately-insured children in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. We then performed a series of random-effects multilevel logistic regression models to assess the associations between a medical home and insurance type, individual sociodemographic characteristics, and state level characteristics/policies. The prevalence of a medical home varied significantly across states for both publicly- and privately-insured children (ranges: 33-63 % and 57-76 %, respectively). Compared to privately-insured children, publicly-insured children had a lower prevalence of a medical home in all states (public-private difference: 5-34 %). Low prevalence of a medical home was driven primarily by less family-centered care. Variation across states and differences by insurance type were largely attributable to lower reports of a medical home among traditionally vulnerable groups of children, including racial/ethnic minorities and non-English primary language speakers. The prevalence of a medical home was not associated with state level characteristics/policies. There are significant disparities between states in parents' report of a medical home for their children, especially for publicly-insured children. Interventions seeking to address these disparities will need to target family-centered care for traditionally vulnerable populations of children.

Health care needs of children with Down syndrome and impact of health system performance on children and their families

OBJECTIVE

The functional, financial, and social impact on families of children with Down syndrome (DS) in the United States and the role of the US health care system in ameliorating these impacts have not been well characterized. We sought to describe the demographic characteristics and functional difficulties of these children and to determine whether children with DS, compared with children with "intellectual disability" (ID) generally, and compared with other "children and youth with special health care needs" (CYSHCN), are more or less likely to receive health care that meets quality standards related to care coordination and to have their health care service needs met.

METHODS

This study analyzed data from the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (n = 40,723). Children and youth aged 0 to 17 years with special health care need (CYSHCN) who experience DS (n = 395) and/or IDs (n = 4252) were compared with each other and other CYSHCN on a range of functioning, family impact, and health care quality variables using bivariate and multivariate methods. Data were weighted to represent all CYSHCN in the United States.

RESULTS

Compared with CYSHCN without DS, children with DS were significantly less likely to receive comprehensive care within a medical home (29.7% vs 47.3%; p < .001). Parents of children with DS were also significantly more likely to cut back or stop work due to their child's health needs (23.5% vs 55.1%; p < .001). Although overall system performance was poorer for children with DS compared with those with ID and no DS after adjustment for family income, prevalence on most aspects of quality of care and family impacts evaluated were similar for these 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, the families of children with DS, and ID generally, are burdened disproportionately when compared with other CYSHCN, reflecting the combination of impairments intrinsic to DS and ID and impacts of suboptimal medical care coordination and social support.

Unmet health care needs in children with cerebral palsy: a cross-sectional study

Children with potentially severe health conditions such as cerebral palsy (CP) are at risk for unmet health care needs. We sought to determine whether children with CP had significantly greater unmet health care needs than children with other special health care needs (SHCN), and whether conditions associated with CP increased the odds of unmet health care needs. We analyzed data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, 2005-2006, using multivariate logistic regression to calculate the adjusted odds of children with CP having one or more unmet health care needs compared to children with other SHCN. We also determined the association of CP-related conditions with unmet health care needs in children with CP. After weighting to national averages, our sample represented 178,536 children with CP (1.9%), and 9,236,794 with children with other SHCN (98.1%). Although having CP increased the odds that children had unmet health care needs (OR = 1.46, 95% CI [1.07-1.99]), the presence of a "severe" health condition weakened the association. Gastrointestinal problems and emotional problems increased the odds that children with CP would have unmet health care needs above that of children without the associated conditions (p ≤ .01). Children with CP are similar to children with other SHCN and may benefit from collaborative programs targeting severe chronic conditions. However, children with CP and associated conditions have increased odds of unmet health care needs in comparison to children without those problems.

National profile of children with Down syndrome: disease burden, access to care, and family impact

OBJECTIVE

To measure the co-morbidities associated with Down syndrome compared with those in other children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Additionally, to examine reported access to care, family impact, and unmet needs for children with Down syndrome compared with other CSHCN.

STUDY DESIGN

An analysis was conducted on the nationally representative 2005 to 2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs. Bivariate analyses compared children with Down syndrome with all other CSHCN. Multivariate analyses examined the role of demographic, socioeconomic, and medical factors on measures of care receipt and family impact.

RESULTS

An estimated 98,000 CSHCN have Down syndrome nationally. Compared with other CSHCN, children with Down syndrome had a greater number of co-morbid conditions, were more likely to have unmet needs, faced greater family impacts, and were less likely to have access to a medical home. These differences become more pronounced for children without insurance and from low socioeconomic status families.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with Down syndrome disproportionately face greater disease burden, more negatively pronounced family impacts, and greater unmet needs than other CSHCN. Promoting medical homes at the practice level and use of those services by children with Down syndrome and other CSHCN may help mitigate these family impacts.

Parent-provider-community partnerships: optimizing outcomes for children with disabilities

Children with disabilities and their families have multifaceted medical, developmental, educational, and habilitative needs that are best addressed through strong partnerships among parents, providers, and communities. However, traditional health care systems are designed to address acute rather than chronic conditions. Children with disabilities require high-quality medical homes that provide care coordination and transitional care, and their families require social and financial supports. Integrated community systems of care that promote participation of all children are needed. The purpose of this clinical report is to explore the challenges of developing effective community-based systems of care and to offer suggestions to pediatricians and policy-makers regarding the development of partnerships among children with disabilities, their families, and health care and other providers to maximize health and well-being of these children and their families.

Individual and practice characteristics associated with physician provision of recommended care for children with special health care needs

OBJECTIVE

To examine physician and practice characteristics associated with recommended care practices for children with special health care needs (CSHCN).

METHODS

A survey of primary care physicians (PCPs) in Arkansas with a Medicaid caseload of ≥100 children was conducted. Predictor variables included physician specialty field, demographics, practice type, and percentage of patients with public insurance. Multivariate regression analyses described predictors associated with recommended care practices informed by literature.

RESULTS

Of 565 mailed surveys, 203 (36%) were returned. Solo/2-person practice was associated with recommended care practices, including written care plan (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 9.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.61-35.8), providing extra time (AOR = 3.52, 95% CI = 1.47-8.43), and providing community referrals (AOR = 3.05, 95% CI = 1.33-7.02). Female gender was associated with extra time (AOR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.07-4.78) and providing community referrals (AOR = 2.83, 95% CI = 1.30-6.18).

CONCLUSION

Future studies should examine characteristics of smaller practices that drive implementation of recommended care practices.