FCC principles are frequently aligned with a vision of effective health care delivery. The AAP regards FCC as an integral component of the medical home [14], and the MCHB regards FCC as a core objective for care of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) within state Title V programs and Healthy People 2020 Objectives [15]. Ideally, the principles drive our understanding of essential FCC practices, but this is not always so, as we will discuss further.
A related term “patient-centered care” is frequently used interchangeably with FCC. The Institute of Medicine recognizes patient-centered care as one of the 6 central aims for high quality health care, and in 2007, the Patient-Centered Medical Home was affirmed by multiple groups as the standard of health delivery [16]. Epstein and colleagues have articulated the importance of patient-centered care, described as “the quality of interactions between patients and clinicians,” to national health care policy and reform [17]. However, we believe FCC is the term of choice as it relates to pediatric care, when families are most involved with their children. FCC moves beyond patient-clinician interaction by considering the needs of all family members, not just the child [18].