CDC: Ambulatory care visits up 31% from 1994 to 2004

Americans made more than 1.1 billion visits annually to physician offices and hospital emergency and outpatient departments in 2004, up by 31% since 1994, according to the latest data released by The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on June 23, in its annual national hospital ambulatory medical care survey.

Although nearly half of those visits (48.1%) were to physician primary care offices, hospital emergency department (ED) visits represented 10% of all visits, increasing from 93.4 million visits annually in 1994 to 110.2 million visits annually in 2004, an 18% jump.

The 31% increase in ambulatory care visits from 1994 to 2004 was primarily due to a 19% increase in utilization per person and an increase in population (11%). Visit rates have shown an increasing trend since 1994 for persons aged 22-49, 50-64, and 65 and older.

No third-party payer was expected to cover charges for 12.1% of ambulatory care visits. Hospital settings were used more frequently than physician offices for ambulatory care by Medicaid recipients, and by patients with self-pay, no charge, or where charity was indicated as the expected source of payment.

The amount of time a patient waited before seeing a physician in the ED increased from 38.0 minutes in 1997 (the first year data were collected) to 47.4 minutes in 2004.

To read the CDC report, click here.