Are Primary Care Visits Declining in the United States?

Medscape February 26, 2025
Edited by Manasi Talwadekar

TOPLINE:

In the United States, the proportion of visits to primary care physicians (PCPs) declined from 2010 to 2021, whereas the proportion of visits to nurse practitioners/physician assistants/registered nurses increased substantially, reflecting a shift in healthcare delivery.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers analyzed the data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 2010 to 2021 to explore trends in outpatient visits in the United States prior to the enactment of the Affordable Care Act on the basis of clinician type.
• Clinicians were categorized as PCPs, internal medicine subspecialists, and nurse practitioners/physician assistants/registered nurses.
• The primary outcomes included trends in the total number of ambulatory, preventive, acute, and chronic care visits on the basis of clinician type. A pooled sample of 2.2...

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