Adults Rate Their Primary Health Care Providers Highly

A short AARP survey revealed that nine in 10 (91%) U.S. adults ages 50 and older see a primary health care provider when they are sick, injured, need advice, or need a checkup. And nearly nine in 10 (87%) said they had visited their provider in the last year; three-quarters were able to get an appointment on their preferred date and time.

Adults were also asked about aspects of their most recent visit to their primary health care provider. Overall, on their most recent visit, most adults 50-plus had a positive experience with their provider, but even more adults 65-plus rated their visit positively. More than nine in 10 (93%) adults 65-plus said their provider explained things in an easy-to-understand manner, but eight in 10 (83%) adults 50–64 said the same thing.

Additionally, when judging the amount of time spent with them during their visit, significantly more adults 65-plus compared to adults 50–64 said their provider spent enough time with them (90% vs. 78%). Overall, seven in 10 (72%) adults 50-plus said their primary health care provider was prepared for the visit and had all their needed medical information. A comparison by age group revealed, however, that significantly fewer adults in the younger 50–64 age group felt their provider was prepared compared to adults in the 65-plus group (65% vs. 80%).

Overall satisfaction with their primary health care provider was high on a scale of 0 (extremely unsatisfied) to 10 (extremely satisfied). The average rating among all adults ages 50-plus was 8.6.

Methodology

The research is based on a survey conducted by phone and online July 20–24, 2023, of a nationally representative sample of 1,012 people ages 50-plus. Respondents were asked to answer questions about their experiences with their primary health care provider on their most recent visit.

For more information, please contact Laura Mehegan at lmehegan@aarp.org. For media inquiries, please contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.