September 2017

Utah’s 3-year State Implementation Grant that has supported the Medical Home Portal ended on August 31, 2017. The Portal met a grant goal by serving as Utah’s ‘shared resource,’ a "one-stop shop” where practices and families that care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) can find information, resources, and how to connect with community and professional service providers. Input was gathered from stakeholders, structured interviews with families, and care coordinators to guide improvements in the Portal. Additional content pages and resources were developed. Lists of service providers lists and search were improved, and a survey banner added to collect metrics about the Portal’s usefulness. Integrated Services Program and Utah Family Voices staff connected families with children with special needs to the Medical Home Portal. The Utah Children’s Care Coordination Network (UCCCN) was formed to be a source of information, resources, peer learning and support for pediatric and family practice staff members who help coordinate the care of patients. The Medical Home Portal was utilized in every UCCCN meeting to help attendees find local services, resources, and other helpful information.

Overall, the grant was a success, and we look forward to continuing many of the efforts to increase the number of Utah CYSHCN who receive integrated care through a patient/family-centered medical home approach. The Utah Department of Health’s Bureau of Maternal and Child Health has committed to provide some support for the Portal and UCCCN for the next 3 years.

This 3-year project, funded through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, kicked off on September 1, 2017, and aims to leverage health information exchange (HIE) to improve care of CYSHCN and collaboration among their clinical providers and families. An electronic Pediatric Patient Summary (PPS) “app” will be designed, developed, and implemented that will “plug-in” to electronic health records (starting with Epic), access and share information through state HIEs, and enable creation of succinct, relevant, accurate, and timely summaries of patient information, focusing on children with chronic and complex conditions. Access to the information and resources in the Medical Home Portal will be integrated into the PPS. This approach will, eventually, make the PPS and the Portal accessible within the workflow of clinicians, therapists, care coordinators, and others using the EHR. Access to the PPS through “patient portals” in HIE systems will enable families to engage in the PPS and access relevant information from the Portal to share with their providers.