Why Ambulatory Services Are Increasing In Popularity

By Cornelia White


Medical institutions all over the world offer their treatment and care on either inpatient or outpatient basis. Those patients who need to be taken care of while in the hospital wards as a result of their conditions which is usually chronic are usually referred to as inpatients. Outpatients are taken care of through ambulatory services which target to offer treatment to patients at their comfort zones.

Ambulatory service clinics are being set aside by the majority of hospitals as most patients are treated on the outpatient categories. Huge budgets are even set for these clinics with specialties from all the medical fields including neurologists, oncologists, gynecologists, orthopedics among others all coming together under these clinics.

In most of these clinics, a new patient will normally be assigned to a specific nurse on the first visit. This primary nurse will be in charge of coordinating all the treatment plans of the patient during the subsequent visits. In addition to this, the nurse is charged with the responsibility of storing and ensuring that the information relating to that patient is up to date. They also serve as a liaison between the patient and all other healthcare providers depending on the needs of a particular patient.

In such clinics, the ambulatory services will be provided is a team approach where professional from all departments make a team to take care of the patients. Just like it happens in surgery, the best practice involves a team of experienced and specialized doctors from different specialties, nurses, both the occupational and the physical therapists, social workers and all other related personnel combining efforts in patient treatment. In such an environment, the patient is always assured of best of treatments that he can get.

Many insurance companies and even the public health covers usually provide for ambulatory services. This therefore make such medical care very affordable and available to laterally all patients with the health condition and the nature of disease or injury being the determinant is the treatment will be done inpatient or through outpatient means.

Other than the normal treatments, many treatments that are now being provided through outpatient means include physical rehabilitation, orthotic, sport related injuries, chronic back pains (both acute and chronic), arthritis, neurology, oncology (polio, stroke, and nerve impairment), orthopedics (skeletal related disorders), osteoporosis (evaluation treatment), genetics and hereditary diseases, wound healing, rheumatology, and scoliosis among other support procedures.

The success of this procedure however lies in the ability of the medical personnel to coordinated proper monitoring and treatment plan. Majority of major health institutions are now dedicating their budget and staff to this clinics are they are considered to be more cost effective and allows for faster expansion of the medical institution. Hospitals for instances are now setting up clinics in close proximity to their patient residences for much quicker and easier access in addition to frequent visits conducted by their doctors to regional offices all to promote outpatient services.

Ambulatory services have contributed immensely in reducing the operational costs of medical institutions while increasing public access to medical facilities. It has revolutionized medical sector making it much more efficient and effective as it is impractical to host all patients within medical premises.




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