Visits to Health Centers Among Adults, by Selected Characteristics: United States, 2022.

Abstract

Objective: This report describes care received at health centers in the United States in 2022. Estimates are presented for selected characteristics.

Methods: The data presented in this report are from the 2022 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey Health Center Component. Data were collected from federally qualified health centers and federally qualified health center look-alikes and weighted to produce nationally representative estimates of visits to health centers from all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Results: During 2022, an estimated 89.5 million visits were made by adults to health centers in the United States, an overall rate of 349.4 visits per 1,000 adults. The visit rate among women was higher than for men. Differences in visit rates by age were not significant. Adults who were not married accounted for 48.2% of visits, and adults who were married accounted for 37.6% of visits. More than one-half of health center visits were disease-related (61.4%). Symptoms-related diagnoses accounted for 22.0% of visits. Screenings (12.6%) and examinations (10.2%) were also frequent reasons for health center visits. Social determinants of health were listed as a reason for the visit at 2.0% of health center visits. Endocrine diseases represented the most frequently mentioned disease category (29.1%), overall and among adults age 45 and older. Mental disorders represented the most common disease category among adults ages 18-44.

Conclusions: Women visited health centers at a higher rate than men. In addition, patient and visit characteristics, including marital status and diagnoses, differed by age.