The relationship between the medical home and unmet needs for children with autism spectrum disorders

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Healthcare Access

Background:

• Access to specialty care is crucial for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
• Defining and measuring the 'medical home' concept in relation to specialty care access for ASD is important.
• Gaps in coordinated and family-centered care persist for children with ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between having a medical home and unmet specialty care needs in children with ASD.
• To determine if a medical home mitigates unmet needs for specialty services among children with autism.
• To identify factors influencing specialty care access for children with ASD.

Main Methods:

• Survey data collected from 371 parents of children with ASD via an online Access to Care Questionnaire.
• Bivariate and hierarchical regression analyses employed to assess the relationship between medical home status and unmet needs.
• Analysis of demographic, child, and family characteristics in relation to care access.

Main Results:

• Only 18.9% of children with ASD had a medical home, characterized by coordinated and family-centered care.
• 63% of children experienced unmet needs, with behavioral therapy being the most common.
• Having a medical home was significantly associated with fewer unmet specialty care needs, even after controlling for covariates.

Conclusions:

• A medical home is linked to better access to specialty care services for children with ASD.
• Current models of primary care for children with ASD often lack comprehensive coordination and family-centered components.
• Enhancing primary care delivery models for children with ASD could improve access to essential specialty services and outcomes.