Eighty-nine percent of U.S. adults say they have a regular physician or place of care, according to a report from the Commonwealth Fund published earlier this year.
The report, released in March, focused on how U.S. primary care compares to other high-income countries. Overall, the nation lags far behind other wealthy countries in primary care, which researchers attributed to decades of underinvestment and a low provider supply. Click here to read more on how the U.S. stacks up to other countries when it comes to primary care accessibility and care continuity.
Eight more figures on primary care in the U.S., as outlined in the report:
1. Forty-three percent of adults say they have a longstanding relationship (five years or more) with a primary care provider.
2. Only 37 percent of primary care providers report making home visits frequently or occasionally.
3. Forty-five percent of primary care providers report having after-hours arrangements.
4. About 30 percent of primary care physicians said their practices "usually" screen or assess patients for at least one social need, such as housing, food security and transportation.
5. About 9 percent of U.S. adults with a regular PCP say they received information on how to get help with social needs from their physician.
6. Thirty-seven percent of primary care physicians report that social workers work on their team to provide patient care. Similarly, 33 percent have mental health providers in their practice.
7. Nearly 50 percent of primary care physicians report adequate levels of coordination with specialists and hospitals regarding changes to their patient's care plan.
8. Forty-eight percent of primary care providers say they are usually notified when their patient has been seen in an emergency department.