The Medical Home and Hospital Readmissions

Little is known about the relationship between receiving primary care in a medical home and unplanned hospital readmissions and emergency department visits among children with special health care needs. Researchers focused on whether children with primary care medical homes were less likely to have unplanned hospital readmissions in the 30 days after hospital discharge. The study also looked at the likelihood of emergency department visits in the 7 days following a hospital discharge. The authors found that one component of a medical home—having a “usual source of sick and well care,”—was the best predictor of avoiding unplanned hospital readmissions. Additionally, readmission rates and emergency department visits were lower among children whose parents reported the most confidence in their child’s continuing good health.

Lead author Ryan Coller, MD, MPH, conducted the study with funding from a Young Investigator Award (YIA) through the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health.