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Mental
Health woes remain one of the top reasons
for Doctor visits
Newswise— Depression and other mental health
problems prompted 156 million visits to
doctors’ offices, clinics, and hospital
outpatient departments in 2005, according to
the latest News and Numbers from the Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Problems with mental health were one of the
top three reasons for Americans to seek
treatment. Also, the number of mental health
visits has increased 30 percent since 1996.
AHRQ’s analysis also ranked the other top
reasons for getting non-emergency ambulatory
care in 2005:
o Back problems prompted 139 million visits
and cost $17.6 billion.
o Trauma- related disorders, such as
fractures, prompted 133 million visits that
cost $27 billion.
o Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and
asthma, grouped together, resulted in 93
million visits that cost $12 billion.
o High blood pressure resulted in 79 million
visits and cost $10 billion.
AHRQ, which is part of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, works to
enhance the quality, safety, efficiency, and
effectiveness of health care in the United
States. The data in this AHRQ News and
Numbers summary are taken from the Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a detailed
source of information on the health services
used by Americans, the frequency with which
they are used, the cost of those services,
and how they are paid.
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