Medical Home
The concept of the "medical home" was first described over 25 years ago as a strategy to promote family-centered, community-based, coordinated care for children with special health care needs and has been subsequently adapted to more broadly apply to primary care for other populations. According to a policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the pediatric medical home model emphasizes care that is "accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective." (p. 184). Currently there are national, regional, and local efforts to apply medical home concepts pioneered in pediatrics to adult primary care.
Pediatric Medical Homes
Connecticut Children's Medical Center
Susan Maxwell, RN, MBA, Administrator, Patient and Family Centered Care commented, "Although our Family Advisory Board has only been meeting since August of 2007, there is already a palpable difference in our organization. Groups are vying to be on the agenda to ensure family input is part of the way we do business at CCMC." Read more.
Minnesota Medical Home Learning Collaborative
The state of Minnesota participated in the medical home learning collaborative sponsored by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. In 2006, Minnesota Department of Health was awarded a President's New Freedom Initiative Grant to continue this work and its Minnesota Medical Home Learning Collaborative is a recognized leader in the movement. Read more.
South County Pediatrics
South County Pediatrics is a community-based teaching practice of UMass Memorial Health Care located in Webster, Massachusetts. The practice has a long history of participation in maternal and child health initiatives, including immunization registries, chronic disease management (asthma and obesity), and care coordination. South County Pediatrics is an active participant in community-based initiatives. Read more.
Adult Medical Homes
In March, 2007, a consensus paper titled, Joint Principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home, was released by organizations representing more than 300,000 physicians: the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, and the American Osteopathic Association. The statement promotes the medical home as "an approach to comprehensive primary care for children, youth, and adults.Read more