Coping Among Parents of Children With Special Health Care Needs With and Without a Health Care Home

IntroductionHaving a health care home has been shown to be associated with positive health outcomes for children with special health care needs (CSHCN), but its relationship to parental coping has not been established. The purpose of this study was to explore the health care home as a process of care related to parental coping with day-to-day demands of raising a CSHCN.MethodData are from a sample of 18,352 CSHCN in the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health. Using the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use as a framework, this secondary analysis explored relationships between child and household factors and parental coping among CSHCN with and without a health care home.ResultsCSHCN in a health care home were more likely to have parents who were coping well. Parents who received sufficient care coordination were more satisfied with provider communication, and those who reported that care was family-centered reported better coping.DiscussionResults suggest that the health care home represents a process of care that may help families manage the daily demands of caring for CSHCN through family-centered care, provider-to-provider communication, and provision of care coordination.