Ambulatory Care Centers: Their Role In Health Care

13 Pages 3237 Words

Summary

Despite souring health care cost, consumers continue to demand quality health care services. In an effort to contain health care cost while still providing quality services, industry entities such as hospitals and HMO’s developed a new and innovative approach to meet the demands of the consumer known as ambulatory care centers. Ambulatory care centers include outpatient rehabilitation centers and diagnosis centers, outpatient surgical centers, urgent care centers, and the like. This innovative approach to delivering health care has caused the traditional health care delivery system to evolve to a state which now provides much of the secondary care previously provided only in a hospital setting on an ambulatory or outpatient basis. In addition to reducing cost these centers provide increased utility to patient.

Despite souring health care cost, consumers continue to demand quality health care services. In an effort to contain health care cost while still providing quality services, industry entities such as hospitals and HMO’s developed a new and innovative approach to meet the demands of the consumer known as ambulatory care centers. R. M. Hodgetts and D. M. Cascio in Modern Healthcare Administration (1997), defines an ambulatory care institution as being:
a permanent facility with an organized medical and professional staff that provides medical services, health-related services, and diagnosis and/or treatment services for patients who usually are ambulatory and do not need inpatient beds. The institution may offer a variety of services or a single service…

Ambulatory care centers include outpatient rehabilitation centers and diagnosis centers, outpatient surgical centers, urgent care centers, and the like. This innovative approach to delivering health care has caused the traditional health care delivery system to evolve to a state which now provides much of the secondary care previously pro...