Adults With A Primary Care Physician More Likely To Receive Preventive Screenings & Have Lower Acute Care Use

Adults with a usual source of primary care were more likely to receive preventive screenings and less likely to experience acute care utilization, according to an analysis published by the Milbank Memorial Fund.

Data from the 2016–2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) showed that adults with a primary care physician (PCP) had substantially higher rates of preventive services. For cardiovascular risk factors, 95.5% of adults with a PCP had their blood pressure checked, compared to 67.6% of those without a PCP. Similarly, 89.2% received cholesterol screening (versus 56.7%), and 74.4% were screened for tobacco . . .