Ensuring that children and youth receive ongoing health care from a family physician or pediatrician who is considered a primary source of care is an important factor in children’s overall health. Other factors that play a role in ensuring good health outcomes for children are getting necessary care and meeting needs of the children. This chapter looks at whether or not children in Ohio have a primary source of care and if they have needs that were not being met in the health care system.

Nearly all children had a personal doctor or nurse in 2008. An even greater percentage had a usual source of sick care or health advice in 2008. For this report, usual source of sick care is determined by a parent reporting their child usually goes to one place for care and the location of that place includes a doctor's office or HMO, a hospital outpatient department, or a clinic or health center. From 2004 to 2008, the percentage of children going to a clinic for sick care decreased.

In 2008, significantly fewer parents rated their children’s quality of overall health care highly compared to 2004.

More parents reported their children’s health care services to cause major medical costs in 2008 than in 2004.