A medical home is an approach to providing comprehensive and high quality primary care. A medical home should be the following:
- Accessible: Care is easy for the child and family to obtain, including geographic access and insurance accommodation.
- Family-centered: The
family is recognized and acknowledged as the primary caregiver and
support for the child, ensuring that all medical decisions are made in
true partnership with the family.
- Continuous: The
same primary care clinician cares for the child from infancy through
young adulthood, providing assistance and support to transition to adult
- Comprehensive: Preventive, primary, and specialty care are provided to the child and family.
- Coordinated: A
care plan is created in partnership with the family and communicated
with all health care clinicians and necessary community agencies and
- Compassionate: Genuine concern for the well-being of a child and family are emphasized and addressed.
- Culturally Effective: The family and child's culture, language, beliefs, and traditions are recognized, valued, and respected
A medical home is not a
building or place; it extends beyond the walls of a clinical practice. A
medical home builds partnerships with clinical specialists, families,
and community resources. The
medical home recognizes the family as a constant in a child's life and
emphasizes partnership between health care professionals and families.