title: Office Visits for Women Aged 45-64 Years According to Physician Specialties.
abstract: The increase in access to healthcare through the Affordable Care Act highlights the need to track where women seek their office-based care. The objectives of this study were to examine the types of physicians sought by women beyond their customary reproductive years and before being elderly.
  
  
  
  This retrospective cohort study involved an analysis of national data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) between 2002 and 2012. Women between 45 and 64 years old (n = 44,830) were interviewed, and reviews of corresponding office visits (n = 330,114) were undertaken.
  
  
  
  In 2002, women aged 45-64 years (62%) went to a family or internal medicine physician only and this reached 72% in 2012. The percentage of women who went to an obstetrician-gynecologist (ob-gyn) only decreased from 20% in 2002 to 12% in 2012. Most went to a family physician or general internist for a general checkup or for diagnosis or treatment. By contrast, visits to ob-gyn physicians were predominantly for general checkups. Those who went to an ob-gyn office were more likely to have a higher family income, live in the Northeast, and describe their overall health as being excellent.
  
  
  
  Women aged 45-64 years were substantially more likely to obtain care exclusively at offices of family physicians or general internists than of ob-gyn physicians. Overlap in care provided at more than one physician's office requires continued surveillance in minimizing redundant cost and optimizing resource utilization.
authors: 1 Robert Graham Center, Center for Policy Studies , American Academy of Family Physicians, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors: Melanie C
authors: MC
authors: Raffoul
authors: 1 Robert Graham Center, Center for Policy Studies , American Academy of Family Physicians, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors: Stephen M
authors: SM
authors: Petterson
authors: 1 Robert Graham Center, Center for Policy Studies , American Academy of Family Physicians, Washington, District of Columbia.|2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine , Albuquerque, New Mexico .
authors: William F
authors: WF
authors: Rayburn
authors: 1 Robert Graham Center, Center for Policy Studies , American Academy of Family Physicians, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Wingrove
authors: 1 Robert Graham Center, Center for Policy Studies , American Academy of Family Physicians, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors: Andrew W
authors: AW
authors: Bazemore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D010820:Physicians / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: health maintenance; primary care; women's health