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Ambulatory Care Use/Physician Visits

(Data are for U.S. for year indicated)

Percent of adults who had contact with a health care professional in the past year: 81

Source: Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2006, Table 37

Percent of children who had contact with a health care professional in the past year: 90

Source: Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2006, Table 14, Appendix III, Table XII

Physician office visits

Number of visits: 902 million

Number of visits per 100 persons: 306.6

Percent of visits made to primary care physicians: 48.9

Most frequent principal reason for visit: general medical examination

Most commonly diagnosed condition: essential hypertension

Source: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Summary, Tables 1, 5, 8, 12

Hospital outpatient department visits

Number of visits: 102 million

Number of visits per 100 persons: 34.7

Percent of visits made to primary care physicians: 41.7

Most commonly diagnosed condition: routine infant or child health check

Source: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Outpatient Department Summary, Tables 1, 4, 10

More data

Percent of children without a health care visit within the past 12 months according to selected characteristics: 1997-2005 Health, United States, 2007, Table 81

Health care visits within the past 12 months, according to selected characteristics: 1997-2005 Health, United States, 2007, Table 82

Percent of children without a usual source of health care according to selected characteristics: 1993-2005 Health, United States, 2007, Table 77

Percent of adults without a usual source of health care according to selected characteristics: 1993-2005 Health, United States, 2007, Table 78

Visits to physician offices and hospital outpatient and emergency departments by selected characteristics: 1995-2005 Health, United States, 2007, Table 92

Visits to primary care generalist and specialist physicians, by selected characteristics and type of physician: 1980-2005 Health, United States, 2007, Table 93

Related links

National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey

National Health Interview Survey

National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey

National Center for Infectious Diseases

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

American Medical Association

World Health Organization

This page last reviewed September 26, 2008