A medical home is the kind of care we all want and deserve – it is the way your child’s pediatric healthcare team approaches providing care for your child.
A medical home means that:
- Your pediatric team
- Knows your child’s health history
- Listens to your concerns and needs, as well as your child’s
- Works in partnership with you to make sure that the medical and non-medical needs of your child and family are met
- Creates a trusting, collaborative relationship with you and your child
- Treats your child with compassion and an understanding of his/her strengths
- Develops a care plan with you and your child when needed
- Respects and honors your culture and traditions
- You and your child
- Are comfortable sharing concerns and questions with your pediatric team and other health care providers
- Routinely communicate your child’s needs and family priorities to your pediatric team who promote communication and coordination between your family and other health care providers, as well as educational and community services when necessary
You Can Make Medical Home Improvements
You can work with your doctor’s office to make your child’s medical home even better. The following are a few things to think about and to discuss with your child’s primary care provider:
- How can we as parents help you become an even better medical home? Does the practice have a ‘family advisory council’ that informs and advises the practice on how to improve their patients’ experience? If not, how can we work together to create one?
- How can we work together to develop:
- Information describing the practice and how to access appropriate care (e.g., patient brochure or Web site)?
- 24-hour contact?
- Extended access to care?
- A patient satisfaction survey?
- An accessible waiting room?
- Let your doctor know how important these improvements are to you and your child’s medical home.