Citation

Rushton FE, Saul R. Int. J. Child Maltreat. 2021; 4(2): 165-173.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s42448-021-00077-7

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Over the past quarter of a century, there have been calls in pediatrics to develop partnerships with home visitors to achieve synergy in the promotion of optimal child health and development. Yet, there is scant evidence-base upon which to move forward with such relationships. Efficacy data that exists is often of narrow focus and insufficient breadth. A working group met in South Carolina in early 2020 composed of pediatric clinicians and their staffs in offices with in-house home visitation programs to define postulated benefits of home-visiting medical home partnerships as a basis for further research. They suggested that benefits might include more opportunity for screening and assessment, an opportunity to address socio-environmental and mental health issues more fully, stronger supportive and therapeutic relationships among families and service providers, more appropriate health care utilization, and better child and family outcomes. Potential barriers to these partnerships included inadequate evidence-base, complicated funding issues, a lack of appreciation of home visitor, and pediatrician value as each profession works within their silos, inertia and resistance to change, family acceptance of services, and workforce issues. It is hoped that there will be more investigation and research focused on these parameters as we develop a robust evidence base for pediatric and home-visiting partnerships.

Language: en