This is how the American Academy of Pediatrics defines a medical home: “a medical home is defined as primary care that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective.”

It is a “family-professional partnership” established with a child's primary healthcare provider. The provider is familiar with the child’s health history and the family’s concerns and involves the family in the decision making. As part of the partnership, the family routinely communicates with the healthcare provider and is comfortable sharing concerns.

Links & Resources:

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford
http://www.lpch.org/index.html

American Academy of Pediatrics National Center of Medical Home Initiatives for Children with Special Needs
http://www.medicalhomeinfo.org/model/index.html

Creating a Medical Home: The foundation for primary care delivery
http://internet.dscc.uic.edu/dscctext/medhome/mhintrotext.asp
University of Illinois Medical Home Model with information for physicians and families