Redesigning Well-Child Care Can Better Meet Family and Patient Needs

Current well-child care is centered on the physician, who provides services ranging from medical to educational to psychosocial. This structure's inefficiencies and poor outcomes, particularly when engaged by low-income families, have led to well-child care redesign efforts to better meet families' needs.

In a randomized, controlled trial, researchers compared a well-child–care intervention to usual well-child care in two independent pediatric practices in Los Angeles County, California. The intervention was designed using community input and included: (1) a parent coach who provided anticipatory guidance, psychosocial screening and referral, and developmental/behavioral guidance and screening; (2) a Web-based previsit needs assessment; (3) …