The medical home concept was introduced by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1967 as a model of primary care for children with special health care needs. It was intended to help coordinate multidisciplinary services from diverse sources to treat children with complex medical conditions and associated developmental problems. The model emphasizes care that is continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate, family centered, and culturally and linguistically appropriate.
Although the model originated in pediatrics, it has applicability across the life span. The nature of family-centered care for young dependent children, for whom parents and other caregivers are integral to any treatment plan, differs from health care for adolescents, where patient confidentiality is often critical, or for adults with chronic health conditions. In pediatrics, family-centered care should be age appropriate for the patient; for adults, it should be consistent with patient choice and privacy protection.
Consistent with this transition, the model has often been referred to as the patient-centered medical home. The concept of patient centeredness was identified as an important domain of quality care by the Institute of Medicine in 2001.The patient-centered medical home was described in 2007 through a Statement of Joint Principles by the American College of Physicians, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Osteopathic Association and subsequently endorsed by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and American Dietetic Association. It includes the chronic care model of patient self-management for chronic conditions and evidence-based and evidence-informed protocols