Respiratory: The Top Reason Patients Come to Primary Care
This slideshow highlights facts and figures about the number 1 diagnostic category in primary care.
Of the top 10 diagnosis groups in primary care, respiratory disorders lead the way.
Pneumonia kills close to 1 million children younger than 5 years worldwide each year, causing more deaths than from any other infectious disease, including HIV infection, malaria, and tuberculosis.In the US, about 1 million persons (mostly adults) are hospitalized with pneumonia each year and about 50,000 die. Details, hereand here
Patients made about 4.8 million ambulatory care visits for pneumonia in 2009-2010. Close to half (2.25 million visits) were to primary care offices.
Asthma is one of the most common chronic disorders in childhood, currently affecting an estimated 7.1 million children younger than 18 years. Details, here
COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 12.7 million US adults had COPD in 2011. Close to 24 million US adults have evidence of impaired lung function, indicating an underdiagnosis of COPD.Details, here
Lung cancer causes the most cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for 1.3 million deaths annually, and is the leading cancer killer in the US.Details, here
In “Top 10 Reasons Why Patients Come to Primary Care,” we took a closer look at what brings patients to your office-and not the specialty office down the street-the leading diagnostic categories in primary care practice.This slideshow highlights the number 1 diagnostic category in primary care: respiratory diseases. Specific respiratory diagnoses featured here include pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer. See the following for key facts and figures about the main reason for patient visits to primary care offices.
