Young adults are far less likely than older generations to maintain an ongoing relationship with a primary care physician, a new survey shows.
The poll was commissioned by Columbus-based OSU Wexner Medical Center and conducted by the survey and market research firm SSRS. The survey includes responses from 1,006 U.S. adults between May 1 and May 3.
Three survey findings:
- Seventy-one percent of adults ages 18-29 reported having a primary care physician, compared with 97% of adults 65 and older.
- Among young adults who do have a primary care physician, just 47% had a checkup in the last year.
- When a nonemergency issue arises, 36% of young adults go to urgent care first, compared with 68% of older adults who contact their primary care physician first.
OSU Wexner noted that primary care is tied to better outcomes, fewer hospital stays and lower emergency department utilization. The findings point to a widening generational divide in care-seeking behavior that health systems will need to address as Gen Z ages into a larger share of the patient population.
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