ROUTINE health maintenance

Children with special health care needs see their PCP more frequently than a typical child. (5) Many of the visits are for routine care, such as well-child checks, immunizations, and school and sports physi­cals. Routine visits, however, can often be redirected quickly toward a disease-specific focused discussion. Although important, the basic well-child visit is no longer the focus. It is important for the PCP to ensure that routine health care needs are being addressed, even if it means that a second appointment is sched­uled. The following are examples of health care topics that should be addressed during routine visits.