Study Finds Link Between Medical Home Visits, Socioeconomic Conditions

A new study has found that the economic situation of a child with a medical complexity is associated with keeping up with medical visits. Incorporating knowledge of the socioeconomic conditions of where children with medical complexities and their families live is crucial to assure equitable health outcomes, the authors argue. The study, “Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation and Healthcare Utilization of Medically Complex Children,” which will be published in the April 2021 issue of Pediatrics (published online March 7), notes that children with medical complexities are a unique and important pediatric population with chronic, multisystem disease that results in frequent medical needs. The study found that, compared to peers residing in areas of lower socioeconomic deprivation, children with medical complexities living in areas of greater socioeconomic deprivation were at increased risk of missing medical appointments. However, they were not at increased risk of emergency department utilization, hospital admission, or increased days in the hospital. The findings suggest that the social complexity in which children with medical complexities live influences other aspects of their health care, including visits to a specialized medical home. To assure equitable care and outcomes for all children with medical complexities, health systems and providers should seek to understand and address any barriers to care arising from the socioeconomic context in which these children live, the authors conclude.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.