Medical home disparities for Latino children by parental language of interview

Abstract

Examination of Latino children in aggregate ignores important subgroup differences due to the parents' English language ability. Previous reports of the pediatric medical home have not stratified Latino children by parental language differences to compare the two groups directly. We analyzed the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health to determine medical home prevalence among Latino children, stratified by language of parental interview. Most Latino children with a Spanish-language parental interview had a usual source of care, but only one-quarter had a medical home. Striking medical home disparities persisted for Latino children with a Spanish-language interview, even after adjustment for potential confounders. Lack of a medical home was associated with disparities in the quality of care, more so than access disparities. Addressing health care disparities for Latino children requires particular attention to the unique needs of Latino children with parents who may experience language barriers during health care encounters.

Figure 1

Proportion of children meeting medical home domain criteria by race/ethnicity-language status among children with a usual source of care and a usual provider.

Figure 2

Proportion of responses of “usually” or “always” to family-centered care questions by race/ethnicity-language status among children with a usual source of care and a usual provider