Ambulatory Care

Due to advances in technology, health care professionals now perform more and more procedures safely on an outpatient basis. This new capability saves both time and money, as patients do not have the expense of spending additional time in the hospital. Ambulatory care refers to a wide range of medical services and procedures that are conducted on an outpatient basis. Ambulatory care can be given at a hospital, doctor’s office, or ambulatory surgery center (ASC). Procedures conducted at these facilities include blood tests, X-rays, endoscopy, some biopsies, catheterizations, minor surgery, childbirth, plastic surgery, eye care and much more.

Ambulatory care has skyrocketed in recent years; some estimates claim 60 to 70 percent of all surgical procedures in the US are done on an outpatient basis, and revenues from ambulatory care are growing more rapidly than those from inpatient care. There are several reasons for the increase in ambulatory care programs:

• changing demand for health services
• shifting preferences of third-party payers and regulators
• competitive influences
• diversification of risk

ACSs got their start in the early ‘70s and were approved for Medicare reimbursement in 1982. Today there are more than 3,300 ACSs throughout the United States, some of which are single-specialty centers while others treat a wide variety of therapeutic areas.

Trends in Ambulatory Care and Ambulatory Surgery Centers

• Fewer freestanding surgery facilities are being built; the focus is shifting to larger ACSs that offer a wider range of services beyond surgery, known as multiple-service ambulatory care centers (MACCs)
• An ACS may often focus on a particular specialty, particularly plastic surgery, GI, eye and urology.
• There has been a trend toward efficient facilities with better utilization of space. In order to make the most profit, ACSs have cut overhead costs by reducing the amount of unneeded space and supplies in their facilities.
• Freestanding birthing centers are also becoming more popular, with facilities that can accommodate mother and child for up to 72 hours.
• Particularly in rural areas, MACCs can serve as a replacement for hospitals. However, the MACC operators must choose their locations very carefully based on physical location, population and demographics.

FierceHealthcare covers trends and developments in ambulatory care because it is now and will continue to be a large share of the healthcare market in coming years. To stay up to date on the most recent ambulatory care news, subscribe to FierceHealthcare today.

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