Off to the Right Start: Well-Child Visit Attendance Among Health Center Users

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health Services Research
• Health Equity
• Primary Care Access

Background:

• Well-child visits are crucial for pediatric preventive care and development.
• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) serve vulnerable pediatric populations.
• Understanding factors influencing visit attendance and care choices is vital for optimizing child health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine well-child visit attendance among pediatric FQHC users.
• To identify reasons for choosing FQHCs for care.
• To assess patient experience and correlates of visit attendance.

Main Methods:

• Observational study utilizing cross-sectional 2009 Health Center Patient Survey data.
• Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and multivariable models were employed.
• Analysis focused on pediatric patients within FQHC settings.

Main Results:

• 83.0% of children had a well-child visit in the past year; 88.5% had a usual source of care.
• Having a usual source of care, particularly an FQHC, was linked to higher well-child visit attendance.
• Key reasons for FQHC selection included convenience (31.6%), quality (24.5%), and accessibility (17.7%).

Conclusions:

• Well-child visit attendance rates are high among pediatric FQHC users but can be improved.
• Ensuring a usual source of care is essential for maximizing well-child visit attendance.
• FQHCs are chosen for their convenience, quality, and accessibility, highlighting their importance in pediatric care delivery.