Evidence has shown the implementation of medical home model improves care quality and outcomes. However, it is not clear whether receiving care from a medical home has any impact on racial/ethnic disparities in emergency department (ED) use by children with asthma. This study using the US National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, 2009-2010, estimated racial/ethnic disparities in ED use. Generalized liner models were used to examine factors associated with ED use. Racial/ethnic differences in ED use were attenuated after adjusting for socio-economic variables. Ratios of prevalence ratios were calculated to examine the effect modification of medical home on ED use associated with race/ethnicity. The adjusted prevalence ratio of ED use of the Black to non-Hispanic White was 1.51 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.36-1.67) with medical home and 1.35 (95% CI: 1.24-1.47) without medical home. Among those with care from a medical home Latino children had higher ED use compared with White children. There is no evidence that the self-reported care from a medical home narrows the gaps in ED use between non-Hispanic White and Black or Latino children with asthma.
Keywords: Access/availability; ED use; NS-CSHCN; United States; asthma; children; disparities; medical home; paediatric care; race/ethnicity.