Pediatric Practice Redesign with Group Well Child Care Visits: A Multi-Site Study

Abstract

Objectives: Multiple barriers exist to delivering efficient, effective well child care, especially in low-income, immigrant communities. Practice redesign strategies, including group well child care, have shown promise in improving care delivery and healthcare outcomes. To assess the feasibility of a group well child care program at multiple urban, academic practices caring for underserved, mostly immigrant children, and to evaluate health outcomes and process measures compared to traditional care.

Methods: Prospective, intervention control study with participants recruited to group well child care visits or traditional visits during the first year of life. A culturally sensitive curriculum was designed based on American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations. Process and health outcomes were analyzed via patient surveys and medical record information.

Results: One hundred and one families enrolled in group care and 74 in traditional care. Group care participants had higher rates of all recommended postpartum depression screening and domestic violence screening (65% vs 37%, 38% vs 17% respectively), higher anticipatory guidance retention (67% vs 37%) and higher patient satisfaction with their provider. The group care redesign did not increase length of time spent in clinic.

Conclusions for practice: Group well child care is a feasible method for practice redesign, which allows for increased psychosocial screening and anticipatory guidance delivery and retention compared to traditional visits, for low income, predominantly immigrant families. Parental satisfaction with group care is higher and these visits provide greater face-to-face time with the provider, without increasing time spent in the practice.

Keywords: Group visits; Practice redesign; Preventative care; Well child care.