Over 70 Percent of Children Visit a Doctor's Office at Least Once During the Year

Press Release Date: April 18, 2001

Over 70 percent of all children under age 18 had at least one office visit for health care during 1996. In contrast, only 7.2 percent had a hospital outpatient visit and less than 3 percent experienced an inpatient stay (excluding stays for normal birth). About 13 percent had an emergency department visit. Less than half of all children had a dental visit (42.5 percent). Almost 60 percent of children got at least one prescription medicine.

This information was published in "Annual Report on Access to and Utilization of Health Care for Children and Youth in the United States-2000" in the January-February issue of Ambulatory Pediatrics. The article shows data derived from the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The article is available without charge from the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 8547, Silver Spring, MD 20907; phone: 800-358-9295. Request AHRQ Publication No. 01-R036.

Select to access a chart showing the percentage of healthcare use for children under 18 (PDF File, 22 KB; PDF Help).

For additional information, please contact AHRQ Public Affairs, (301) 427-1364.

Internet Citation:

Over 70 Percent of Children Visit a Doctor's Office at Least Once During the Year. Press Release, April 18, 2001. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2001/70perpr.htm