MSMR. 2026 Jul 31;33(6-7):21-27.
ABSTRACT
This annual summary documents the frequencies, rates, trends, and distributions of ambulatory visits, or outpatient care, among members of the active component of the U.S. Armed Forces, based on standardized records from U.S. military and civilian medical facilities worldwide. In 2025, U.S. active component service members (ACSMs) completed 17,478,210 ambulatory, or outpatient, visits for health care, yielding an annual rate of 13.7 visits per person-year (p-yr). Over the previous 4 years the rate of ambulatory health care encounters steadily declined, driven primarily by sharp post-pandemic reductions in COVID-19 and ‘other’ administrative health care encounters. Five major categories of diagnosis from ACSM ambulatory care visits in 2025 accounted for almost four-fifths (79.6%) of all ACSM outpatient care: musculoskeletal system diseases, ‘other’ (administrative) encounters, mental health disorders, nervous system and sensory organ diseases, and symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions; this is consistent with previous years. While the most frequent diagnoses of specific conditions for both male and female ACSMs were joint pain, lower back pain, and adjustment disorders, men had higher rates of sleep apnea and alcohol dependence, while women had higher rates of generalized anxiety and anemia due to iron deficiency.
PMID:42623605
