Ambulatory care
Encyclopedia
Ambulatory care is a personal health care
consultation, treatment or intervention using advanced medical technology
or procedures
delivered on an outpatient basis (i.e. where the patient’s stay at the hospital
or clinic
, from the time of registration to discharge, occurs on the same calendar day).
Many medical investigations and treatments for acute illness and preventive health care can be performed on an ambulatory basis, including minor surgical and medical procedures, most types of dental services, dermatology services, and many types of diagnostic
procedures (e.g. blood test
s, X-rays
, endoscopy
and biopsy
procedures of superficial organs). Other types of ambulatory care services include emergency
visits, rehabilitation visits, and in some cases telephone consultations.
Ambulatory care services represent the most significant contributor to increasing hospital expenditures and to the performance of the health care system
in most countries, including most developing countries.
Sites where ambulatory care can be delivered include:
in an inpatient setting on one hand, and the situation where an individual is advised to return only when (or if) symptoms appear or reappear on the other.
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
consultation, treatment or intervention using advanced medical technology
Medical technology
Medical Technology encompasses a wide range of healthcare products and is used to diagnose, monitor or treat diseases or medical conditions affecting humans. Such technologies are intended to improve the quality of healthcare delivered through earlier diagnosis, less invasive treatment options and...
or procedures
Medical procedure
A medical procedure is a course of action intended to achieve a result in the care of persons with health problems.A medical procedure with the intention of determining, measuring or diagnosing a patient condition or parameter is also called a medical test...
delivered on an outpatient basis (i.e. where the patient’s stay at the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
or clinic
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
, from the time of registration to discharge, occurs on the same calendar day).
Many medical investigations and treatments for acute illness and preventive health care can be performed on an ambulatory basis, including minor surgical and medical procedures, most types of dental services, dermatology services, and many types of diagnostic
Medical diagnosis
Medical diagnosis refers both to the process of attempting to determine or identify a possible disease or disorder , and to the opinion reached by this process...
procedures (e.g. blood test
Blood test
A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a needle, or via fingerprick....
s, X-rays
Medical imaging
Medical imaging is the technique and process used to create images of the human body for clinical purposes or medical science...
, endoscopy
Endoscopy
Endoscopy means looking inside and typically refers to looking inside the body for medical reasons using an endoscope , an instrument used to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Unlike most other medical imaging devices, endoscopes are inserted directly into the organ...
and biopsy
Biopsy
A biopsy is a medical test involving sampling of cells or tissues for examination. It is the medical removal of tissue from a living subject to determine the presence or extent of a disease. The tissue is generally examined under a microscope by a pathologist, and can also be analyzed chemically...
procedures of superficial organs). Other types of ambulatory care services include emergency
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
visits, rehabilitation visits, and in some cases telephone consultations.
Ambulatory care services represent the most significant contributor to increasing hospital expenditures and to the performance of the health care system
Health care system
A health care system is the organization of people, institutions, and resources to deliver health care services to meet the health needs of target populations....
in most countries, including most developing countries.
Ambulatory care settings
Health care organizations use different ways to define the nature of care provided as "ambulatory" versus inpatient or other types of care.Sites where ambulatory care can be delivered include:
- Doctor's surgeries (known as doctor's offices in American EnglishAmerican EnglishAmerican English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
): This is the most common site for the delivery of ambulatory care in many countries, and usually consists of a physician's visit. Physicians of many specialties deliver ambulatory care. These physicians include specialists in family medicineFamily medicineFamily medicine is a medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care for people of all ages. It is a division of primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, sexes, diseases, and parts of the body...
, internal medicineInternal medicineInternal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
, obstetricsObstetricsObstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
, gynaecologyGynaecologyGynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...
, cardiologyCardiologyCardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
, gastroenterologyGastroenterologyGastroenterology is the branch of medicine whereby the digestive system and its disorders are studied. The name is a combination of three Ancient Greek words gaster , enteron , and logos...
, endocrinologyEndocrinologyEndocrinology is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions called hormones, the integration of developmental events such as proliferation, growth, and differentiation and the coordination of...
, ophthalmologyOphthalmologyOphthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
, and dermatologyDermatologyDermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin and its diseases, a unique specialty with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist takes care of diseases, in the widest sense, and some cosmetic problems of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails....
.
- ClinicClinicA clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
s: Including ambulatory care clinics, polyclinicPolyclinicPolyclinics in England are intended to offer a far greater range of services than can be offered by current general practitioner practices and local health centres. In addition to traditional GP services they would offer extended urgent care, healthy living services, community mental health...
s, ambulatory surgery centers, and urgent care centres.- In the United States, the Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA) estimates that over 15,000 urgent care centers deliver urgent care services. These centers are designed to evaluate and treat conditions that are not severe enough to require treatment in a hospital emergency department but still require treatment beyond normal physician office hours or before a physician appointment is available.
- In Russia and other countries of the former Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, FeldsherFeldsherFeldsher is the name of a health care professional who provides various medical services in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, mainly in rural areas...
health stations are the main site for ambulatory care in rural areas.
- HospitalHospitalA hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s: Including emergency departmentEmergency departmentAn emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
s and other hospital-based services such as day surgery services and mental health services.- Hospital emergency departments: Some visits to emergency departments result in hospital admission, so these would be considered emergency medicineEmergency medicineEmergency medicine is a medical specialty in which physicians care for patients with acute illnesses or injuries which require immediate medical attention. While not usually providing long-term or continuing care, emergency medicine physicians diagnose a variety of illnesses and undertake acute...
visits rather than ambulatory care. Most visits to hospital emergency departments, however, do not require hospital admission. Many of these visits are not true emergencies and are better seen in an urgent careUrgent careUrgent care is the delivery of ambulatory care in a facility dedicated to the delivery of medical care outside of a hospital emergency department, usually on an unscheduled, walk-in basis. Urgent care centers are primarily used to treat patients who have an injury or illness that requires immediate...
center.
- Hospital emergency departments: Some visits to emergency departments result in hospital admission, so these would be considered emergency medicine
- Non-medical institution-based settings: Including school and prison health; vision, dental and pharmaceutical care.
Revisit
One or more planned revisits to settings of ambulatory care is the main method of follow-up of previous care in both ambulatory and inpatient settings. It can be regarded as an intermediate level of follow-up between continuous monitoringMonitoring (medicine)
In medicine, monitoring is the evaluation of a disease or condition over time.It can be performed by continuously measuring certain parameters , and/or by repeatedly performing medical tests .Transmitting data from a monitor to a distant...
in an inpatient setting on one hand, and the situation where an individual is advised to return only when (or if) symptoms appear or reappear on the other.
See also
- Health careHealth careHealth care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
- Primary carePrimary carePrimary care is the term for the health services by providers who act as the principal point of consultation for patients within a health care system...
- Secondary care
- Reason for encounter
- Primary care
- Health care providerHealth care providerA health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities....
- Ambulatory care nurseAmbulatory care nursingAmbulatory care nursing is characterized by rapid, focused assessments of patients, long-term nurse/patient/family relationships and teaching and translating prescriptions for care into doable activities for patients and their caregivers....
- Primary care physicianPrimary care physicianA primary care physician, or PCP, is a physician/medical doctor who provides both the first contact for a person with an undiagnosed health concern as well as continuing care of varied medical conditions, not limited by cause, organ system, or diagnosis....
- Ambulatory care nurse