Position statement☆
Article Outline
Abstract
J Pediatr Health Care. (2003). 17, 22A.
The pediatric health care home
The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) is a professional organization that advocates for children's health. NAPNAP believes that children's health care should be accessible, comprehensive, coordinated, culturally sensitive, and focused on the overall well-being of the child within the family. NAPNAP advocates that child health care be provided by pediatric health care providers within a “Pediatric Health Care Home.”
NAPNAP believes that all children (infants through young adults) must have access to comprehensive health care by the pediatric health care professional of choice to ensure optimal health (NAPNAP, 2001). NAPNAP supports the comprehensive list of services identified by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, 2002) as those that should be available for all children. Additionally, NAPNAP believes that the services should be provided in a child health care home, where all pediatric health care providers have a collaborative role. The child health care home is a place where children and their families receive health promotion, reinforcement of positive parenting behaviors, parent education, anticipatory guidance, behavioral consultation, nutrition and safety education, developmental assessments and referral, and community resource connections, in addition to the management of illness. Through childhood and young adulthood, emphasis should be on comprehensive health care services provided by qualified health care professionals in a coordinated child health care home.
NAPNAP believes that the PNP is an appropriate coordinator of the child's health care home and is qualified to provide direct health care, advocate for the child, make appropriate referrals, and remain responsible for the health care that is provided.
References
- . The Medical Home. Pediatrics. 2002;110(1):184–186
- . Position Statement on Access to Care. http://www.napnap.org2001; Available online at
☆ Reprint requests: NAPNAP National Office, 20 Brace Rd, Suite 200, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-2633.
PII: S0891-5245(02)88311-0
doi:10.1067/mph.2003.11
