Patterns of Ambulatory Care Use: Changes from 1987 to 1996 Medical ExpenditurePanel Survey (MEPS) Research Findings 16

摘要

This report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) presentstrends in the use of ambulatory care services by the U.S. population from 1987 to 1996. The authors examine how often people visit health care providers and shifts over the 9-year period in the setting of care (office, hospital outpatient, or emergency room) and the reasons for visits (prevention, diagnosis or treatment, or emergency). They also examine variation in trends across several variables, including age, race, sex, urban versus rural residence, region, income, insurance status, and health status. Data come from AHRQ's 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey (NMES) and 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). From 1987 to 1996, the percentage of visits that took place in outpatient hospital settings and emergency rooms decreased, with a commensurate increase in the percentage of total visits that took place in office-based settings. The percentage of ambulatory care visits that were for preventive reasons increased while the percentages for all other types of visits decreased.