Medical Home

When you partner with your childs health professionals, you have a Medical Home.

Medical Home
A medical home is the working relationship between a childs family and a physicians practice that supports both excellent health care and family satisfaction. It includes good communication at office visits, between office visits and regarding visits to other specialists as well as oral health, health education, family support and anything else important to a childs overall health.

What should I expect from my Childs Medical Home?

You can use this list when choosing a new physician for your child, or as a way to start a conversation with your childs doctor about Medical Home.

Your childs primary care doctors office is accessible.

Is available after hours or on weekends (may have weekend hours and/or provides contact information for after hours or weekends) Accepts your childs health insurance Is physically accessible to your child Has same day visits Has email communication as well as phone service

Staff within your childs primary care office know you and help you.
Know you and your child when you call Understand your childs special needs Respond to requests for prior approvals, letters of medical necessity for your childs insurance, or documentation for other programs and services Provide written materials in a language you understand

Your childs primary care doctor respects and listens to you about your child.
Asks you to share your knowledge about your child Helps you make the best decisions for your child Talks to you about how your childs condition affects your family (other children in the family, child care, expenses, work, sleep) Acknowledges and respects your familys cultural values and religious beliefs Provides interpreter services if needed

Your childs primary care doctor and office staff work with you to plan your childs care.
Help you set short-term (3-6 months) and long-term (the next year) goals for your child Give you important information, such as recommendations or new treatments, in writing Work with you to create and update a written plan of care for your childs medical and non-medical needs Review your childs medical records with you when needed Help you consider new and emerging treatment choices for your childs condition

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Your childs primary care doctor and office staff support you as a caregiver.
Help you connect with family support organizations and other parents in your community Provide information on community resources. palsy Down syndrome Muscular dystrophy Severe mental retardation (child aght below two pounds, 10 Find and share new information, research or materials that are helpful in caring for your child Help you to advocate on behalf of your child Plan for adult health care services (when appropriate for your childs age)

Your childs primary care doctor and office staff help you to coordinate your childs care.

Follow up with referrals Help you to find needed services such as transportation, durable medical equipment, home care, and ways to pay for them Explain your childs needs to other health professionals Reach out to your childs school or day care providers to help them understand your childs medical condition Encourage and support frequent communication between all persons involved in your childs care (with your consent) Organize and attend team meetings about your childs plan of care that include you and other providers

Our pediatrician doesnt do many of the things listed, but we like the office. I dont want to switch from this caring doctor, but I would like to get more services and support.
Dont give up a good and trusting relationship with your family doctor it is very valuable. Since Medical Home is a new concept, try sharing some of the ideas and resources listed in this brochure.

Where to Learn More

To learn more about Medical Home check resources at these sites: American Academy of Pediatrics National Center of Medical Home Initiatives for Children with Special Needs: www.medicalhomeinfo.org American Academy of Family Physicians http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/membership/initiatives/pcmh.html ASK About Special Kids: www.aboutspecialkids.org Family Voices Indiana: http://fvindiana.blogspot.com/ http://www.familyvoices.org/states.php?state=IN Indiana Community Integrated Systems of Services (IN CISS) Medical Home Learning Collaborative: Contact Parent Consultants at http://www.ai.org/isdh/24901.htm
Adapted from A New WayA Better Way, a medical home partnership brochure for families developed by New England SERVE, Boston, Massachusetts.

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Programs and systems change often. It is important to ensure that you are using the most current information. This Fact Sheet was updated on October 16, 2010. Please check with http://earlychildhoodmeetingplace.org for the most recent edition.
Supported in part by project H25 MC 00263 from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (Title V, Social Security Act), Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services