3 in 4 Young Adults Go to Doctor's Office for Routine Care

Young adults aged 18 to 26, so-called "young invincibles" in healthcare insurance parlance, are surprisingly proactive when it comes to taking care of their health, a nationwide poll released Tuesday by the American Academy of Family Physicians shows.

Researchers found that 66% of young adults have a regular place of care and 90% of those respondents had visited their healthcare provider at least once in the past year. The majority of those visits (59%) were for regular exams or preventive services; 9% were for the management of a chronic condition.

"Our survey shows that young adults are getting preventive care," said Roland Goertz, MD, MBA, president of the AAFP in a press statement. "This kind of diligence can help them maintain their overall health, and preclude future problems. Conventional wisdom says this age group doesn't have health concerns, but one in six young adults has a chronic condition such as diabetes, hypertension, or asthma."

The physician's office was the location of choice for medical services with 76% responding that they went to a doctor's office for their routine health care. Some 62% identified their source of routine care as a family physician.

None of the young adults surveyed listed a retail health clinic or the emergency room as their routine source of medical care.

"Young adults want to establish an ongoing relationship with a primary care physician. By setting this foundation of care, they are building toward a healthy future." said Goertz.

Survey respondents indicated that conveniences such as making appointments online, corresponding via e-mail with their physician and having same-day appointments would increase the likelihood that they'd see a primary care physician more often.

About 74% of the respondents were covered by healthcare with 51% reporting that they are covered by their parents' or guardian's insurance while only 23% were covered through an employer.

Unexpected healthcare expenses created some level of financial hardship for 79% of the young adults. The common causes for the unexpected expenses were diagnostic procedures/tests (29%) and the treatment of newly diagnosed illness (23%).

The poll, conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of the AAFP, obtained responses from 1,273 Americans between the ages of 18 and 26. The poll was conducted March 31 to April 11, 2011.