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Recent guidelines for adolescent primary care call for the specification of clinical services by three adolescent age subgroups. Yet analyses of office visits have either merged adolescence into one stage or divided it at age 15 years.

Objective. To explore the utilization of physician offices in the United States by early (11–14 years), middle (15–17 years), and late (18–21 years) adolescents.

Design. Secondary analysis of the 1994 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, focusing on visits made by the three adolescent age groups.

Setting. Nationally representative sample of 2426 physicians in nonfederal, nonhospital offices.

Subjects. A total of 33 598 visits by patients of all ages, representing 681.5 million visits in 1994.

Main Outcome Measures. Number of visits, health insurance, providers seen, duration of visits, reasons for visits, resulting diagnoses, and counseling provided.

Results. Adolescents aged 11 …