In the November issue of Health Affairs, Lisa Rotenstein and coauthors examine trends in primary care visits with a preventive focus between 2001-19.
The researchers find that during this period nearly 60 percent of primary care visits were for female patients and approximately 83 percent were for White patients.
They also find that between 2001–19, the portion of primary visits with a preventive focus nearly doubled, and this increase was present in all age groups and across all insurance types, although the greatest rate of increase was seen for people with Medicare.
Rotenstein and coauthors also determine that primary care visits with a preventive focus were significantly longer than problem-based visits and that during preventive visits, primary care physicians were significantly more likely to provide counseling related to items like diet and nutrition and exercise, and more likely to order screening labs.
The researchers conclude that these findings could point to the importance of enhanced coverage of primary care and preventive services.
Also, take a moment to look back at this February 2023 article by Lisa Rotenstein exploring how adult primary care physician visits have shown an increase in addressing mental health concerns.
