Perspectives on Improving Preventive Care for Kids
<p>In two recent commentaries, Edward L. Schor, M.D., The Commonwealth Fund's vice president for child development and preventive care, offers his perspectives on improving well-child care in the U.S., focusing in one article on children with special health care needs.<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0"><tr><td class="first"><ul><li><a href="/publications/in-the-literature/2008/feb/should-children-with-special-health-care-needs-have-separate-preventive-care-visits
">Should Children with Special Health Care Needs Have Separate Preventive Care Visits?</a> Writing in the <em>Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine,</em> Schor argues that children with special health care needs--and, indeed, all children--need a tailored health care plan that combines preventive care with individualized services to meet unique needs. Because of the extra time that pediatricians spend caring for these children's ongoing and sometimes life-threatening chronic health conditions, an individualized plan is essential for ensuring that routine well-child care, like immunizations, doesn't fall by the wayside.</li><li><a href="/publications/in-the-literature/2008/feb/the-future-pediatrician--promoting-childrens-health-and-development
">The Future Pediatrician: Promoting Children's Health and Development</a>. Many children--particularly at-risk children--do not receive recommended well-child care or receive care that does not meet their families' specific needs. In an editorial in the <em>Journal of Pediatrics,</em> Schor proposes changes to correct some of the inefficiencies in the delivery of preventive pediatric care. Among his recommendations: having ancillary staff provide certain well-child care services, like anticipatory guidance or development screening; offering group well-child care, and adopting more patient- and family-centered approaches.</li></ul></td></tr></table>To submit comments on these articles, register for <a href="/myprofile/myprofile_signin.htm">My Commonwealth Fund.</a> Visit the <a href="/topics/topics_list.htm?attrib_id=15315">Child Health</a> section of commonwealthfund.org to read more about other efforts to improve well-child care in the U.S.</p>