Patients in the United States made an estimated 1.1 billion visits to physician offices and hospital outpatient and emergency departments in 2006 with an average of four visits per person per year, according to new health care statistics released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some other interesting figures from the survey include:
- 26%: the increase in the number of visits to doctor’s offices and hospitals – as compared with an 11% increase in the US population.
- 2.6 billion: the number of medications provided, prescribed or continued during those visits. Pain relievers were the most common, accounting for 13.6% of prescribed drugs.
- 46%: the increased rate of knee replacement for adults aged 65+ between 2000 and 2006. 2x: the increased rate among those aged 45-64 during the same time period.
- 2x: the rate of clogged heart arteries during the 1990s. The good news? Since 2002, that number has declined for all age groups.
43%: the increase in outpatient visits for adults with chronic diabetes between 1996 and 2006. - 51%: the increase in outpatient visits for adults with high blood pressure between 1996 and 2006.
SOURCE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Copyright AP - Associated Press
