According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, every child should receive high quality health care that is accessible, family centered, culturally competent, coordinated, continuous, compassionate, and comprehensive (1). This care is best offered through a medical home, an ongoing family-centered partnership with a child health professional or team in which all of the patient's needs are met (1). Children who receive care in the context of a medical home are more likely to have regular preventive check-ups (which can lead to the early identification and treatment of problems) and are less likely to have emergency room visits (1). However, the latest estimates indicate that less than half of children receive care within a medical home, statewide and nationally (2).
Not surprisingly, children without health insurance are less likely to access needed care than those with coverage (3). While the percentage of uninsured children has decreased in recent years, many remain without coverage, and many insured children are at risk of losing coverage if investments in public insurance programs are not maintained (3).
One convenient way for children and youth to access needed services is through school-based health centers (SBHCs). These centers, whether located on school property or in the vicinity of a school, offer a range of services to underserved or uninsured students, such as primary medical care, mental or behavioral health care, dental care, substance abuse services, and health and nutrition education. More than 2,500 SBHCs operate nationwide (4). These centers have become a key part of the health care delivery system, as children and youth spend a significant amount of time at school, and barriers such as transportation and scheduling are reduced. SBHCs can lead to improved access to medical and dental care, health outcomes, and school performance (5, 6). They also reduce emergency room visits and health care costs (5, 6).
For more information on health care, see kidsdata.org’s Research & Links section.
Sources for this narrative:
1. National Resource Center for Patient/Family-Centered Medical Home. (2017).
Why is medical home important? American Academy of Pediatrics. Retrieved from:
https://medicalhomeinfo.aap.org/overview/Pages/Evidence.aspx
2. As cited on kidsdata.org,
Receipt of care within a medical home. (2019). National Survey of Children's Health.
3. Schneider, L., et al. (2016).
The Affordable Care Act and children's coverage in California: Our progress and our future. The Children's Partnership. Retrieved from:
https://www.childrenspartnership.org/research-list/the-affordable-care-act-and-childrens-coverage-in-california-our-progress-and-our-future
4. Love, H., et al. (2018).
2016-17 national school-based health care census. School-Based Health Alliance. Retrieved from:
https://www.sbh4all.org/school-health-care/national-census-of-school-based-health-centers
5. American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health. (2012). School-based health centers and pediatric practice.
Pediatrics, 129(2), 387-393. Retrieved from:
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/2/387
6. Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2016).
Promoting health equity through education programs and policies: School-based health centers. Retrieved from:
https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/promoting-health-equity-through-education-programs-and-policies-school-based-health-centers