Primary Care Usage Among Adults With Self-Reported Hypertension: United States, 2023

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Hypertension affects nearly half of US adults, with suboptimal control in approximately 75% of cases.
• Primary care visits are crucial for effective hypertension management and monitoring.
• This study estimates the prevalence of primary care visits among US adults diagnosed with hypertension.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the number of US adults aged 18 and older with self-reported hypertension who accessed primary care within the past year.
• To identify demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with primary care visit frequency in this population.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
• Identified respondents with a self-reported hypertension diagnosis.
• Calculated the percentage and number of primary care visits in the last year, stratified by covariates.

Main Results:

• The analytical sample represented 81.9 million US adults with self-reported hypertension.
• Overall, 91.6% (75 million adults) reported primary care visits in the last year.
• Younger adults (18-44 years), males, and uninsured individuals exhibited lower rates of primary care visits.

Conclusions:

• Over 90% of US adults with hypertension accessed primary care in the past year, highlighting significant opportunities for hypertension management.
• Targeted interventions may be needed to improve primary care access for specific demographic groups.