Medical Home Helps All Kids, Study Says

Even children without special health needs are healthier and make better use of health care if they have a “medical home,” a new study finds. A medical home meets certain standards. Care should be easy to get. The office should coordinate all of it. Care should be sensitive to family needs and cultural differences. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a medical home for all children. The new study was based on a large health survey. It focused on 70,000 children who did not have special needs. About 58% had a medical home. They were more likely than other children to get preventive care. They had fewer sick visits and trips to the emergency room. Their parents were more likely to describe the kids’ health as excellent or very good. The kids also were more likely to wear a bike helmet. They watched less TV and were read to more often.