What Health Services Are Provided by Ambulatory Care Centers?

Ambulatory health care centers provide a wide range of health services. These include services for individuals who are not admitted to a hospital. The range of services can include those provided in emergency rooms, in outpatient clinics and surgical centers, in physician offices and in mental health practices. Very often, ambulatory care centers provide services that are not immediately available from a doctor's office.

About

• According to FAQs.org, ambulatory care centers have grown as an industry tremendously since the 1980s. It was during this time that the medical industry changed substantially, as did health insurance. No longer were many procedures requiring overnight stays in the hospital, and many insurance companies were no longer paying for lengthy hospital stays because of a patient's need for additional care and treatment. As a result, ambulatory care centers began providing the services that many doctor's offices, hospitals and outpatient treatment and surgery centers were not. These include changing wound dressings, nursing consultations, physical therapy and medical testing.

Surgical Centers

• According to FAQ.org, one of the areas that has seen the most growth has been outpatient surgical centers. Many insurance policies, including HMOs and PPOs, do not cover the costs of an overnight hospital stay for many surgical procedures. As a result, ambulatory surgical centers have becoming a large industry in the United States. These centers provide outpatient surgical services for procedures such as gall bladder removal, tubal ligations and even uncomplicated birth.

Medical Providers

• One of the largest segments of ambulatory care services is medical providers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical providers can include physician's offices, dentists, mental health providers, chiropractors and optometrists. Many medical providers offer services in group practitioner settings, where there are several doctors or practitioners to choose from. These services are often limited according to insurance restrictions of what services will be reimbursed for payment.

Home Healthcare Services

• Another segment of ambulatory care centers is the provision of home health care services according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Home health care is another growing the developing aspect of health care that has boomed over the past two decades and is expected to continue to grow. Home health care services include the provision of nursing services, daily activities of living and physical therapy that are provided in the home of the patient. This allows for continued independent living, something that continues to be of import as the population ages.

Outpatient Care Centers

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics also notes the growth of an aspect of ambulatory care services that provide specialized care, such as kidney dialysis, mental health services and substance-abuse services. These health care services are provided on an outpatient basis and are provided by health care professionals with specialized education and knowledge in their field. Other specialized health care centers provide testing, such as MRI and CT scans.