Needs Assessment for a Medical Home Curriculum for Pediatric Residents

Several studies and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education recommend integration of medical home (MH) concepts into pediatric resident training. There is a paucity of research depicting the current landscape of pediatric resident MH education. We hypothesized formal MH curricula in pediatric residency education are limited and pediatric residency programs desire incorporating MH education into curricula. A national needs assessment of pediatric residency programs was conducted assessing inclusion of MH concepts in training. Outcomes assessed were perceived importance of including MH concepts, satisfaction of current curriculum, content taught, resources available, and barriers encountered. Fifty-six programs (28%) completed the survey, majority academic programs. Nearly 75% indicated interest in incorporating MH concepts. Fifty-one percent of programs reported faculty knowledgeable in MH concepts/implementation and 11% reported access to readily available resources. Barriers included resident schedules, faculty teaching time, funding, and not faculty priority. Pediatric program directors report interest and need for improved MH training but identify implementation barriers

The Experience of Latina Mothers of Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs: A Qualitative Study

Children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) comprise a growing proportion of the pediatric population; the patient- and family-centered medical home provides a comprehensive model for caring for these patients. Given the limited literature available as well as extreme patient vulnerability, we sought to understand the experience of Latino parents in caring for their CYSHCN within our patient-centered medical home in an urban neighborhood in North Philadelphia. A convenience sample of 14 mothers or grandmothers of CYSHCN participated in semistructured interviews, which were analyzed using a thematic, constant comparative approach to identify common themes. Themes identified included “Waiting,” “Communication/Trust,” “All-Consuming Requirements of Care/Sacrifice,” and “Fate/Faith/Blessings.” These themes corresponded with identified goals of the patient-centered medical home. Our findings suggest that the principles of the patient-centered medical home can be applied in unique ways to caring for this unique patient population