Ambulatory Care Use and Physician Visits

(Data are for the U.S.)

 

• Percent of adults who had contact with a health care professional in the past year: 82%

Source: Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2007, Table 37

• Percent of children who had contact with a health care professional in the past year: 91%

Source: Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2007, Appendix III, Table XII

• Number of ambulatory care visits (physician offices, hospital outpatient and emergency departments): 1.1 billion visits
• Number of ambulatory care visits per 100 persons: 381.9

Source: Ambulatory Medical Care Utilization Estimates for 2006, Tables 1 and 2

 

Physician office visits

• Number of visits: 902 million
• Number of visits per 100 persons: 306.6
• Percent of visits made to primary care physicians: 49%
• 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: 42%
• Most commonly diagnosed condition: diabetes

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: 1997-2006 Health, United States, 2008, Table 82
• Health care visits within the past 12 months, according to selected characteristics: 1997-2006 Health, United States, 2008, Table 83
• Percent of children without a usual source of health care according to selected characteristics: 1993-2006 Health, United States, 2008, Table 78
• Percent of adults without a usual source of health care according to selected characteristics: 1993-2006 Health, United States, 2008, Table 79
• Visits to physician offices and hospital outpatient and emergency departments by selected characteristics: 1995-2006 Health, United States, 2008, Table 94
• Visits to primary care generalist and specialist physicians, by selected characteristics and type of physician: 1980-2006 Health, United States, 2008, Table 95
• Role of International Medical Graduates Providing Office-based Medical Care: United States, 2005-2006