AARP Hearing Center
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.
![Doctor holding stethoscope Doctor holding stethoscope](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/pri/topics/health/health-care-workforce/primary-healthcare-providers/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_body1/container_body_cf/body_one_cf_one/par1/articlecontentfragmeImage1/cfimage.coreimg.75.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/research/topics/health/health-care-workforce/doctor-holding-stethoscope.jpg)
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.