National disparities in the quality of a medical home for children

Relational Health in Pediatrics

The American Academy of Pediatrics 2021 Policy Statement called for a paradigm shift that would prioritize clinical activities, rewrite research agendas, and realign collective advocacy by promoting relational health in partnership with communities and families. This seminal statement accelerated innovation toward high-performing medical homes, elevated family leadership and voices from family lived experiences, and advanced child health policies to move toward equity, child flourishing, and long-term well-being. More strengths-based, family-driven, and community connected practices among pediatric providers are essential to success. Early relational health approaches offer many opportunities for promoting social-emotional well-being, mental health, and flourishing.

The Home-Based Experiences of Palliative and Hospice Care for Children and Caregivers (EXPERIENCE) Measure: Evaluation of Psychometric Properties

CONTEXT

Home-based pediatric palliative and hospice care (PPHC) supports the hundreds of thousands of children with serious illness and complex care needs and their families in the home setting. Considerable variation, however, exists in the provision and quality of home-based PPHC in the U.S. Ensuring equitable, high-quality home-based PPHC for all children requires the evaluation of families' care experiences and assessment of whether these experiences are aligned with their needs and priorities.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the previously developed 23-item home-based PPHC EXPERIENCE Measure for use with families of children receiving home-based PPHC in the United States.

METHODS

Participants included families recruited from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Courageous Parents Network, and several other hospital- and community-based PPHC programs across the U.S. who provide home-based PPHC services. Participants completed the EXPERIENCE Measure at baseline and again at retest. We evaluated the factor structure of the EXPERIENCE Measure, as well as evidence regarding score reliability and validity.

RESULTS

Eighty-two family participants completed the baseline and 53 completed the retest questionnaire from 15 states across the U.S. We found evidence for the score reliability and validity of a four-domain EXPERIENCE measure.

CONCLUSION

The EXPERIENCE Measure is a tool with evidence for reliable and valid scores to evaluate family-reported home-based PPHC experiences at the time care is being received. Future work will evaluate the usability (i.e., acceptability, feasibility, and clinical actionability) of EXPERIENCE, including the sensitivity of the instrument to change over time and its impact on real-time clinical actions.

Linguistic Disparities in Child Health and Presence of a Medical Home Among United States Latino Children

OBJECTIVE

The impact of household language on Latino-White and Latino intragroup disparities in child health and having a medical home in the United States is poorly understood. This study aimed to examine these disparities 1) between Whites and Latinos (overall and stratified by English-primary-language [EPL] and non-English-primary-language [NEPL] households); 2) within Latinos, stratified by household language; and 3) potential moderation of disparities by social determinants.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative sample of children 0 to 17 years old from the 2016-2018 National Survey of Children's Health. We evaluated associations of child race/ethnicity and household language with child health and presence of a medical home. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare groups of interest, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and health needs. Moderation was assessed using interaction terms for household income, parental educational attainment, and child insurance coverage.

RESULTS

Among 81,514 children, 13.5% were NEPL Latino, and 19.4% were EPL Latino. Compared with EPL Whites, both EPL and NEPL Latinos had reduced odds of excellent/very good health (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.58-0.84; and aOR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.33-0.53) and presence of a medical home (aOR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.56-0.69; and aOR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.37-0.54), respectively. Among Latinos, NEPL (vs EPL) was also associated with reduced odds of excellent/very good health (aOR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.46-0.83), and presence of a medical home (aOR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.48-0.78); these associations were magnified by adverse social determinants.

CONCLUSIONS

Striking Latino-White and within-Latino medical-home disparities persist in the United States, particularly for NEPL Latino children. Interventions should target social determinants and the rich sociocultural and linguistic diversity of the Latino population.

Association of healthy child-rearing practices and children's receipt of care in patient-centered medical homes

Efforts to improve the quality of care for children have focused on the patient-centered medical home (PCMH), defined by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Little research has focused on caregivers' role in choosing physicians for children. This study aims to determine whether healthy caregiving behaviors and specific behaviors are associated with children's receipt of PCMH care. Using data from the 2016-2017 National Survey of Children's Health, which includes information on child-rearing behaviors, we estimated logistic regressions, controlling for children's and caregivers' characteristics, to quantify possible associations. We found that each additional healthy child-rearing practice followed increased a child's chance of receiving PCMH care by 4.5% (p < 0.001). Being breastfed (children aged 0-5 years), sharing ideas with their caregiver (children aged 6-17 years), their caregiver ensuring homework is finished (children aged 6-17 years), and having TV time monitored (all ages), each increased the likelihood of PCMH use. These findings show that caregiving behavior is independently associated with locus of care. Future research is warranted as educating caregivers about healthy child-rearing may lead them to seek higher quality care for their children. Also, evaluating the effect of behaviors on health outcomes associated with PCMH would be valuable.

Community social determinants and health outcomes drive availability of patient-centered medical homes

The collaborative design of America's patient-centered medical homes places these practices at the forefront of emerging efforts to address longstanding inequities in the quality of primary care experienced among socially and economically marginalized populations. We assessed the geographic distribution of the country's medical homes and assessed whether they are appearing within communities that face greater burdens of disease and social vulnerability. We assessed overlapping spatial clusters of mental and physical health surveys; health behaviors, including alcohol-impaired driving deaths and drug overdose deaths; as well as premature mortality with clusters of medical home saturation and community socioeconomic characteristics. Overlapping spatial clusters were assessed using odds ratios and marginal effects models, producing four different scenarios of resource need and resource availability. All analyses were conducted using county-level data for the contiguous US states. Counties having lower uninsured rates and lower poverty rates were the most consistent indicators of medical home availability. Overall, the analyses indicated that medical homes are more likely to emerge within communities that have more favorable health and socioeconomic conditions to begin with. These findings suggest that intersecting the spatial footprints of medical homes in relation to health and socioeconomic data can provide crucial information for policy makers and payers invested in narrowing the gaps between clinic availability and the communities that experience the brunt of health and social inequalities.

Youth Access to Medical Homes and Medical Home Components by Race and Ethnicity

OBJECTIVES

Medical homes are an effective model of primary care. Historically, however, racial and ethnic minorities have not had equal access to medical homes. The present study estimated the national prevalence of youth's access to a medical home and its components by race and ethnicity.

METHODS

We conducted secondary data analysis using the 2016-2017 National Survey of Children's Health, a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of U.S. youth age 0-17 years (N = 62,308). We obtained weighted and unweighted descriptive statistics and conducted multivariate logit regression models.

RESULTS

Although 49% of the total sample had access to a medical home, 57.1% of white youth had access compared to 37% of Hispanic youth and 39.7% of black youth. Among youth without a medical home, black youth had less access than white youth to a usual place for care (64.7% vs. 55.3%, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69-0.97) and family-centered care (78.1% vs. 66.7%, aOR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.52-0.79). Hispanic youth (68.2%) also had less access to family-centered care than white youth (aOR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.60-0.89). White youth were less likely to have access to effective care coordination, when needed, than Hispanic youth (46.2% vs. 53.5%, aOR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.09-1.66).

CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE

Our findings suggest racial/ethnic disparities exist in youth's access to a medical home and its components. We posit the need for continued efforts to enhance access to medical homes for all youth. Future studies need to examine systemic barriers to youth's access to medical homes.

Exploring national trends of patient- and family-centered care among US children

We explored national trends in the receipt of high-quality patient-physician communication and patient empowerment through behavioral health counseling among children in the United States. We used data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 2010 to 2014. We employed two measures of patient- and family-centered care (PFCC): (1) a composite measure of high-quality patient-physician communication ( n = 34,629) and (2) patient empowerment through behavioral health counseling about healthy eating ( n = 36,527) and exercise ( n = 38,318). We used multivariate logistic regression models to estimate the variation of receiving PFCC by social determinants of health over time. Rates of receiving behavioral health counseling about healthy eating (53-60%) and exercise (37-42%) were lower than the rate of receiving high-quality physician-patient communication (92-93%). Parents were significantly more likely to report receiving high-quality physician-patient communication in 2014 than in 2010 (odds ratio 1.37, confidence interval 1.08-1.67); however, no association was found for empowerment through behavioral health counseling. Low income and parental educational attainment, and lack of insurance were associated with lower odds of receiving behavioral health counseling. Results showed significant variation of physician-patient communication and empowerment by social and demographic factors. The results suggest more providers need to empower parents and their children to self-care through behavioral health counseling.

Increasing Mental Health Engagement From Primary Care: The Potential Role of Family Navigation

Early engagement in mental health intervention is critical, yet the vast majority of children who are experiencing mental health concerns are not receiving needed services. Pediatric primary care clinics have been recognized as an ideal setting in which to identify and address mental health problems early, although engagement in mental health services within primary care and in community-based settings remains low. Navigators, or individuals with experience in navigating the mental health system, have been highlighted as promising partners in efforts to improve engagement in mental health services. Navigation has a growing body of research support among adults and in targeting medical concerns, but there has been limited research on integrating family navigators into pediatric primary care settings to address mental health concerns. Despite this gap in the evidence base, we believe there is significant promise for the use of this model in addressing children's mental health needs. In this report, we discuss factors contributing to high levels of unmet mental health needs and low levels of engagement in mental health services, the role that navigators can play in increasing engagement in mental health care, and implications and recommendations related to integrating mental health-focused family navigators into pediatric primary care settings.

Causal Difference-in-Differences Estimation for Evaluating the Impact of Semi-Continuous Medical Home Scores on Health Care for Children

Difference-in-differences (DID) is a popular approach in observational and quasi-experimental studies to estimate the effects of a treatment with discrete statuses. In many studies, however, the treatment can have a range of dosages or exposure levels. In our paper, "medical homeness" is a semi-continuous score ranging from 0 to 100 to indicate the extent to which a patient-centered medical home model is achieved. We developed a causal DID approach to estimating the effects of a treatment with semi-continuous dosages. The proposed approach allows for mixed-type designs as well as different propensity models. We applied the proposed approach to evaluate the dosage effect of medical homeness scores on the utilization and quality of children's health care. We found that there was a roughly linear effect of medical homeness scores on the annual number of visits to doctor offices when medical homeness scores were below 60 points. The number of office visits did not further increase when medical homeness scores were above 60. A similar relationship was found between medical homeness scores and ratings for health care quality.

Perspectives from the Society for Pediatric Research: interventions targeting social needs in pediatric clinical care

The social determinants of health (SDoH) are defined by the World Health Organization as the "conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age." Within pediatrics, studies have highlighted links between these underlying social, economic, and environmental conditions, and a range of health outcomes related to both acute and chronic disease. Additionally, within the adult literature, multiple studies have shown significant links between social problems experienced during childhood and "adult diseases" such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. A variety of potential mechanisms for such links have been explored including differential access to care, exposure to carcinogens and pathogens, health-affecting behaviors, and physiologic responses to allostatic load (i.e., toxic stress). This robust literature supports the importance of the SDoH and the development and evaluation of social needs interventions. These interventions are also driven by evolving economic realities, most importantly, the shift from fee-for-service to value-based payment models. This article reviews existing evidence regarding pediatric-focused clinical interventions that address the SDoH, those that target basic needs such as food insecurity, housing insecurity, and diminished access to care. The paper summarizes common challenges encountered in the evaluation of such interventions. Finally, the paper concludes by introducing key opportunities for future inquiry.

Income Disparities in the Association of the Medical Home With Child Health

This study was a secondary data analysis of the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health. Data were available for a nationally representative sample of 81 090 children. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model child health with the medical home while examining the effect modification of household income and controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Overall, the medical home was significantly associated with "excellent/very good" child health for children regardless of household income. However, the association of the medical home with "excellent/very good" child health was significantly higher for children in households earning >200% FPL (federal poverty level) compared with <200% FPL (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.13 [95% CI 1.80-2.52] vs aOR 1.46 [95% CI 1.24-1.71]; P < .01). This relationship was also found among children >400% FPL compared with children between 100% and 199% FPL (aOR 2.25 [95% CI 1.74-2.9 0] vs aOR 1.28 [95% CI 1.01-1.62]; P < .01). Therefore, while the medical home is associated with beneficial child health for most children, significant disparities by income exist.

Association of Healthy Home Environments and Use of Patient-Centered Medical Homes by Children of Low-Income Families

INTRODUCTION

Medicaid agencies have been promoting the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model. Most caregivers choose physician practices for their children, and we hypothesized that those following healthier childrearing practices are more likely to seek care in a PCMH.

METHOD

We selected children with public insurance plans (n = 20,801) from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health. We used generalized ordinal logistic regression with state fixed effects to assess the association between home environments and children's use of PCMHs.

RESULTS

Children living in the healthiest homes were 1.33 times (p = .001) more likely to receive care from the highest level of PCMH. In states with early PCMH implementation, the odds increased to 2.11 times (p = .001).

DISCUSSION

Our results show a significant, sizeable relationship between healthier home environments and the use of PCMH by children from low-income families. They provide implications for assessing the effect of PCMH use on health outcomes and use patterns.

Socioeconomic and Racial Disparities in Parental Perception and Experience of Having a Medical Home, 2007 to 2011-2012

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether socioeconomic (SES) and racial disparities in the parental perception and experience of having a medical home decreased from 2007 to 2011-2012.

METHODS

We used nationally representative samples of children aged 1 to 17 from the 2007 (n = 83,293) and 2011-2012 (n = 87,774) National Surveys of Children's Health. Multivariable logistic regression was used to test associations between SES (income, employment, and education) and race/ethnicity to the medical home and its subcomponents (personal doctor or nurse, usual source of care, family-centered care, referrals, care coordination), controlling for a priori identified covariates.

RESULTS

From 2007 to 2011-2012, fewer children overall had access to a medical home (56.9% vs 54.0%, aOR = 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.86-0.96). There were no significant changes in SES and racial trends in access to the medical home during this time period. For example, parents of children <100% federal poverty level (FPL) were significantly less likely to report having a medical home than parents of children ≥400% FPL in 2007 and 2011-2012; however, this disparity did not significantly change during the time period (aOR = 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.75-1.27). There were also no significant changes in SES and racial/ethnic disparities over time for each medical home subcomponent.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite widespread efforts to promote the medical home for all children, large SES and racial disparities in the parental perception and experience of having a medical home persisted from 2007 to 2011-2012.

National Trends in Indicators of a Medical Home for Children

OBJECTIVES

The patient centered medical home is now widely supported as a strategy for delivering high quality primary care. The objective of this study was to examine whether children's primary care experiences nationally have become more aligned with the medical home model over time, and how this may have varied for vulnerable children.

METHODS

This study analyzed data on 289,672 children, aged 0-17 years, of families responding to one of three iterations of National Survey of Children's Health from 2003, 2007 and 2011-2012. Each year, we assessed indicators of four medical home features (access, continuity, comprehensiveness, and family-centeredness) and a total medical home score for children nationally and for those with a set of social and demographic risk factors.

RESULTS

Indicators of access and continuity, and total medical home scores fluctuated but improved overall from 2003 to 2012 (7.1, 6.7 and 1.4 % point increases, respectively), while indicators of comprehensiveness and family-centered care measures declined (2.4 and 1.8 % point decreases, respectively). Children with the highest levels of social and demographic risk experienced larger fluctuations in these measures over time.

CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE

There were improvements in the extent to which children's primary care experiences aligned with a medical home model, though not linearly or for all component features. Children with more risk factors experienced more volatile changes, suggesting a particular need to attend to the primary care experiences of the most vulnerable children.

Health Care Engagement of Limited English Proficient Latino Families: Lessons Learned from Advisory Board Development

BACKGROUND

Specific information on the development and evaluation of patient/family engagement in health care improvement for populations with limited English proficiency (LEP) is lacking.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to provide information for use by other health care organizations aiming to engage LEP populations through advisory groups.

METHODS

Informed by community-based research principles, we formed a family advisory board of LEP Latino families and conducted a multimodal evaluation of initial implementation and partnership development.

RESULTS

The board met process measures goals for sustained engagement of LEP families and for establishing a group structure and process. Board outcomes included contributions to clinic educational materials and initiation of a project to increase the child friendliness of the physical space. Mothers on the board reported satisfaction with their participation.

CONCLUSIONS

We successfully sustained engagement of LEP Latino families in health care improvement using an advisory board. To promote patient-centered care and address health care disparities, LEP populations should be included in patient engagement programs.

Improving access to care through the patient-centered medical home

School-based health centers (SBHCs) serve an essential role in providing access to high-quality, comprehensive care to underserved children and adolescents in more than 2,000 schools across the United States. SBHCs are an essential component of the health care safety net, and their role in the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) continues to evolve as both collaborating partners and, when fully functioning, independent PCMHs. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports the use of SBHCs, citing the proven benefits and exciting potential as justification, but also offers caution and recommends a focus on communication within the community. Traditional "brick and mortar" SBHCs are more likely to be located in urban communities (54.2% urban versus 18.0% rural) and be in schools with more students, allowing for a greater return on investment. Current SBHCs are located in schools with an average population of 997 students. The need for a large school population to help an SBHC approach financial viability excludes children in rural communities who are more likely to attend a school with fewer than 500 students, be poor, and have difficulty accessing health care.2 The expansion of telehealth technologies allows the creation of solutions to decrease geographic barriers that have limited the growth of SBHCs in rural communities. Telehealth school-based health centers (tSBHCs) that exclusively provide services through telemedicine are operating and developing in communities where geographic barriers and financial challenges have prevented the establishment of brick and mortar SBHCs. TSBHCs are beginning to increase the number and variety of services they provide through the use of telehealth to include behavioral health, nutrition services, and pediatric specialists. Understanding the role of tSBHCs in the growth of the PCMH model is critical for using these tools to continue to improve child and adolescent health.

Medical home characteristics and asthma control: a prospective, observational cohort study protocol

Background:

This paper describes the methods for an observational comparative effectiveness research study designed to test the association between practice-level medical home characteristics and asthma control in children and adults receiving care in safety-net primary care practices.

Methods:

This is a prospective, longitudinal cohort study, utilizing survey methodologies and secondary analysis of existing structured clinical, administrative, and claims data. The Scalable Architecture for Federated Translational Inquiries Network (SAFTINet) is a safety net-oriented, primary care practice-based research network, with federated databases containing electronic health record (EHR) and Medicaid claims data. Data from approximately 20,000 patients from 50 practices in four healthcare organizations will be included. Practice-level medical home characteristics will be correlated with patient-level asthma outcomes, controlling for potential confounding variables, using a clustered design. Linear and non-linear mixed models will be used for analysis. Study inception was July 1, 2012. A causal graph theory approach was used to guide covariate selection to control for bias and confounding.

Discussion:

Strengths of this design include a priori specification of hypotheses and methods, a large sample of patients with asthma cared for in safety-net practices, the study of real-world variations in the implementation of the medical home concept, and the innovative use of a combination of claims data, patient-reported data, clinical data from EHRs, and practice-level surveys. We address limitations in causal inference using theory, design and analysis.

Addressing social determinants of health in the adolescent medical home

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To provide a framework for addressing the social determinants of health (SDH) in the adolescent medical home.

RECENT FINDINGS

There has been recent recognition worldwide that SDH affect health throughout the life-course. Adolescents are a vulnerable population, with health behaviors, access, and outcomes shaped by social and environmental contexts. Medical homes have aimed to reduce the health inequities by facilitating connections with community resources. Interventions have been described in the literature for triaging social needs, connecting patients to resources, and utilizing multidisciplinary team members.

SUMMARY

SDH should be incorporated into the routine adolescent healthcare. Screening tools and referral programs should be developed and evaluated in the adolescent population. Programs utilizing multidisciplinary team members would be effective in reaching adolescents and facilitating connections to resources.

Changes in language services use by US pediatricians

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Access to appropriate language services is critical for ensuring patient safety and reducing the impact of language barriers. This study compared language services use by US pediatricians in 2004 and 2010 and examined variation in use in 2010 by pediatrician, practice, and state characteristics.

METHODS

We used data from 2 national surveys of pediatricians (2004: n = 698; 2010: n = 683). Analysis was limited to postresidency pediatricians with patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). Pediatricians reported use of ≥ 1 communication methods with LEP patients: bilingual family member, staff, physician, formal interpreter (professional, telephone), and primary-language written materials. Bivariate analyses examined 2004 to 2010 changes in methods used, and 2010 use by characteristics of pediatricians (age, sex, ethnicity), practices (type, location, patient demographics), and states (LEP population, Latino population growth, Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program language services reimbursement). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine adjusted odds of use of each method.

RESULTS

Most pediatricians reported using family members to communicate with LEP patients and families, but there was a decrease from 2004 to 2010 (69.6%, 57.1%, P < .01). A higher percentage of pediatricians reported formal interpreter use (professional and/or telephone) in 2010 (55.8%) than in 2004 (49.7%, P < .05); the increase was primarily attributable to increased telephone interpreter use (28.2%, 37.8%, P < .01). Pediatricians in states with reimbursement had twice the odds of formal interpreter use versus those in nonreimbursing states (odds ratio 2.34; 95% confidence interval 1.24-4.40).

CONCLUSIONS

US pediatricians' use of appropriate language services has only modestly improved since 2004. Expanding language services reimbursement may increase formal interpreter use.

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.

Assessment and measurement of patient-centered medical home implementation: the BCBSM experience

PURPOSE

Our goal was to describe an approach to patient-centered medical home (PCMH) measurement based on delineating the desired properties of the measurement relative to assumptions about the PCMH and the uses of the measure by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) and health services researchers.

METHODS

We developed and validated an approach to assess 13 functional domains of PCMHs and 128 capabilities within those domains. A measure of PCMH implementation was constructed using data from the validated self-assessment and then tested on a large sample of primary care practices in Michigan.

RESULTS

Our results suggest that the measure adequately addresses the specific requirements and assumptions underlying the BCBSM PCMH program-ability to assess change in level of implementation; ability to compare across practices regardless of size, affiliation, or payer mix; and ability to assess implementation of the PCMH through different sequencing of capabilities and domains.

CONCLUSIONS

Our experience illustrates that approaches to measuring PCMH should be driven by the measures' intended use(s) and users, and that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be appropriate. Rather than promoting the BCBSM PCMH measure as the gold standard, our study highlights the challenges, strengths, and limitations of developing a standardized approach to PCMH measurement.

Timely access to quality health care among Georgia children ages 4 to 17 years

We examined factors associated with children's access to quality health care, a major concern in Georgia, identified through the 2010 Title V Needs Assessment. Data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health were merged with the 2008 Area Resource File and Health Resources and Services Administration medically underserved area variable, and restricted to Georgia children ages 4-17 years (N = 1,397). The study outcome, access to quality health care was derived from access to care (timely utilization of preventive medical care in the previous 12 months) and quality of care (compassionate/culturally effective/family-centered care). Andersen's behavioral model of health services utilization guided independent variable selection. Analyses included Chi-square tests and multinomial logit regressions. In our study population, 32.8 % reported access to higher quality care, 24.8 % reported access to moderate quality care, 22.8 % reported access to lower quality care, and 19.6 % reported having no access. Factors positively associated with having access to higher/moderate versus lower quality care include having a usual source of care (USC) (adjusted odds ratio, AOR:3.27; 95 % confidence interval, 95 % CI 1.15-9.26), and special health care needs (AOR:2.68; 95 % CI 1.42-5.05). Lower odds of access to higher/moderate versus lower quality care were observed for non-Hispanic Black (AOR:0.31; 95 % CI 0.18-0.53) and Hispanic (AOR:0.20; 95 % CI 0.08-0.50) children compared with non-Hispanic White children and for children with all other forms of insurance coverage compared with children with continuous-adequate-private insurance. Ensuring that children have continuous, adequate insurance coverage and a USC may positively affect their access to quality health care in Georgia.

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.

The effects of health insurance and a usual source of care on a child's receipt of health care

INTRODUCTION

Although recent health care reforms will expand insurance coverage for U.S. children, disparities regarding access to pediatric care persist, even among the insured. We investigated the separate and combined effects of having health insurance and a usual source of care (USC) on children's receipt of health care services.

METHODS

We conducted secondary analysis of the nationally representative 2002-2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data from children (≤ 18 years of age) who had at least one health care visit and needed any additional care, tests, or treatment in the preceding year (n = 20,817).

RESULTS

Approximately 88.1% of the study population had both a USC and insurance; 1.1% had neither one; 7.6% had a USC only, and 3.2% had insurance only. Children with both insurance and a USC had the fewest unmet needs. Among insured children, those with no USC had higher rates of unmet needs than did those with a USC.

DISCUSSION

Expansions in health insurance are essential; however, it is also important for every child to have a USC. New models of practice could help to concurrently achieve these goals.

School-based health centers in an era of health care reform: building on history

School-based health centers (SBHCs) provide a variety of health care services to youth in a convenient and accessible environment. Over the past 40 years, the growth of SBHCs evolved from various public health needs to the development of a specific collaborative model of care that is sensitive to the unique needs of children and youth, as well as to vulnerable populations facing significant barriers to access. The SBHC model of health care comprises of on-school site health care delivery by an interdisciplinary team of health professionals, which can include primary care and mental health clinicians. Research has demonstrated the SBHCs' impacts on delivering preventive care, such as immunizations; managing chronic illnesses, such as asthma, obesity, and mental health conditions; providing reproductive health services for adolescents; and even improving youths' academic performance. Although evaluation of the SBHC model of care has been complicated, results have thus far demonstrated increased access to care, improved health and education outcomes, and high levels of satisfaction. Despite their proven success, SBHCs have consistently faced challenges in securing adequate funding for operations and developing effective financial systems for billing and reimbursement. Implementation of health care reform (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [P.L. 111-148]) will profoundly affect the health care access and outcomes of children and youth, particularly vulnerable populations. The inclusion of funding for SBHCs in this legislation is momentous, as there continues to be increased demand and limited funding for affordable services. To better understand how this model of care has and could further help promote the health of our nation's youth, a review is presented of the history and growth of SBHCs and the literature demonstrating their impacts. It may not be feasible for SBHCs to be established in every school campus in the country. However, the lessons learned from the synergy of the health and school settings have major implications for the delivery of care for all providers concerned with improving the health and well-being of children and adolescents.

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.

Is health insurance enough? A usual source of care may be more important to ensure a child receives preventive health counseling

Despite the promise of expanded health insurance coverage for children in the United States, a usual source of care (USC) may have a bigger impact on a child's receipt of preventive health counseling. We examined the effects of insurance versus USC on receipt of education and counseling regarding prevention of childhood injuries and disease. We conducted secondary analyses of 2002-2006 data from a nationally-representative sample of child participants (≤17 years) in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (n = 49,947). Children with both insurance and a USC had the lowest rates of missed counseling, and children with neither one had the highest rates. Children with only insurance were more likely than those with only a USC to have never received preventive health counseling from a health care provider regarding healthy eating (aRR 1.21, 95% CI 1.12-1.31); regular exercise (aRR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01-1.12), use of car safety devices (aRR 1.10, 95% CI 1.03-1.17), use of bicycle helmets (aRR 1.11, 95% CI 1.05-1.18), and risks of second hand smoke exposure (aRR 1.12, 95% CI 1.04-1.20). A USC may play an equally or more important role than insurance in improving access to health education and counseling for children. To better meet preventive counseling needs of children, a robust primary care workforce and improved delivery of care in medical homes must accompany expansions in insurance coverage.

Association of experiences of medical home quality with health-related quality of life and school engagement among Latino children in low-income families

OBJECTIVE

This study examines whether patient-reported indicators of a quality medical home are associated with measures of health among Latino children in low-income families.

DATA SOURCES

Data on 3,258 children ages 2-18 years are from a cross-sectional survey of parents of children affiliated with California's Healthy Kids insurance.

STUDY DESIGN

Medical home quality was assessed using the Parents' Perception of Primary Care and was associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) overall and in four domains (physical, emotional, social, and school/daycare) and four measures of school engagement.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

A higher total medical home score was associated with a higher total Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory score and scores in four subdomains (total beta [B]=1.77, physical B=1.71, social B=1.36, emotional B=2.22, and school/daycare B=1.69, all p<0.001). It was also associated with missing fewer than three school days due to illness (odds ratio [OR]=1.12, 95 percent confidence intervals [CI]: 1.05, 1.19), excellent/above average school performance overall (OR=1.10, 95 percent CI: 1.03, 1.17) and performance in reading (OR=1.13, 95 percent CI: 1.06, 1.20) and math (OR=1.10, 95 percent CI: 1.03, 1.16).

CONCLUSIONS

Patient-reported medical home quality indicators are favorably associated with HRQOL and measures of school engagement among Latino children in low-income families.

Insurance coverage gaps among US children with insured parents: are middle income children more likely to have longer gaps?

Millions of US children have unstable health insurance coverage. Some of these uninsured children have parents with stable coverage. We examined whether household income was associated with longer coverage gaps among US children with at least one insured parent. A secondary data analysis of the nationally-representative 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, this study uses logistic regression models to examine the association between income and children's insurance gaps. We focused on children with at least one parent insured all year (n = 6,151; estimated weighted N = 53.5 million). In multivariate models, children from families earning between 125 and 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL) had twice the odds of experiencing coverage gaps >6 months, as compared to those from high income families. Children in the poorest income groups (<125% FPL) did not have significantly greater odds of a gap >6 months. However, the odds of a gap ≤6 months were significantly greater for all income groups below 400% FPL, when compared to the highest income group. Among children with continuously insured parents, those from lower middle income families were most vulnerable to experiencing coverage gaps >6 months, as compared to those from the lowest and highest income families. These findings are likely due to middle class earnings being too high to qualify for public insurance but not high enough to afford private coverage. This study highlights the need for new US health care financing models that give everyone in the family the best chance to obtain stable coverage. It also provides valuable information to other countries with employer-sponsored insurance models or those considering privatization of insurance payment systems and how this might disproportionately impact the middle class.