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: 82.2%

Source: Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2010, table 37 [PDF - 1.3 MB]

• Percent of children who had contact with a health care professional in the past year: 92.1%

Source: Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2010, table 14 [PDF - 715 KB]

• Number of ambulatory care visits (to physician offices, hospital outpatient and emergency departments): 1.2 billion
• Number of ambulatory care visits per 100 persons: 405.0

Source: Ambulatory Medical Care Utilization Estimates for 2007: tables 1, 3 [PDF - 797 KB]

 

Physician office visits

• Number of visits: 1.0 billion
• Number of visits per 100 persons: 344.1
• Percent of visits made to primary care physicians: 56.6%
• Most frequent principal reason for visit: general medical examination
• Most commonly diagnosed condition: essential hypertension

Source: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2009 Summary Tables, tables 1, 9, 13 [PDF - 382 KB]

 

More data

• Community Health Centers: Providers, Patients, and Content of Care [PDF - 550 KB]
• Health care visits within the past 12 months, according to selected characteristics Health, United States, 2011, table 83 [PDF - 9.8 MB]
• National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2009 Outpatient Department Summary Tables [PDF - 330 KB]
• Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Midwives, and Physician Assistants in Physician Offices [PDF - 725 KB]
• Percent of children without a health care visit within the past 12 months according to selected characteristics Health, United States, 2011, table 82 [PDF - 9.8 MB]
• Physician Assistant and Advance Practice Nurse Care in Hospital Outpatient Departments: United States, 2008-2009.
• Population Aging and the Use of Office-based Physician Services [PDF - 695 KB]
• Role of International Medical Graduates Providing Office-based Medical Care: United States, 2005-2006 [PDF - 542 KB]
• Visits to physician offices and hospital outpatient and emergency departments by selected characteristics Health, United States, 2011, table 96 [PDF - 9.8 MB]
• Visits to Primary Care Delivery Sites: United States, 2008 [PDF - 676 KB]
• Visits to primary care generalist and specialist physicians, by selected characteristics and type of physician Health, United States, 2011, table 97 [PDF - 9.8 MB]