Since the 1960s, the medical home has evolved from a place to store medical records for children with special health care needs to the standard of care for all children and youth, particularly those with special needs.
Over the last 40 years, multiple national, state, and local organizations have conducted and published research that shows evidence in support of the pediatric medical home approach to care. These studies show an association between access to and utilization of pediatric medical homes to improved health outcomes for the population, increased satisfaction for children and families, and decreased cost of care.
The implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 further encouraged the uptake of the pediatric medical home model by individual practices, large health care organizations, hospitals, states, and public and private payers.