CheckPoint: Ambulatory Care

CheckPoint: Ambulatory Care






CheckPoint: Ambulatory Care
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HCA/210
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instructor name


CheckPoint: Ambulatory Care
The main purpose of ambulatory care is to treat people on an outpatient basis, meaning they do not have to be admitted to the hospital. More and more cases do not require a person to be admitted to the hospital, which saves the hospital and the individual (or the insurance company) money. Ambulatory care is given to persons who are not confined to a hospital but rather are ambulatory and, literally, are able to ambulate or walk about. For example, medical tests, physician offices visits, lab and radiology work, out-patient surgical procedures, and rehabilitation therapy are all considered “ambulatory care.”

Ambulatory care is changing society's view on health care due to it being the only point of contact for a vast majority of people for their various health related issues. The rising costs of hospital stay, along with the reluctance of insurance companies to pay out large amounts to the hospitals and the newer techniques of diagnosis and therapy that do not need hospitalization for a vast majority of non – emergent conditions, has lead to these conditions.

Services can be improved by focusing on faster access to the health care while providing up to date technology. Hospitals could improve their ambulatory services by making sure that patients fully understand their condition, and have all the necessary information to take care of themselves (including any warning signs that they might need to return for further care or observation). Some other ways to improve would be improved interactions with banks, HMO and other financial organizations, adequate risk management, providing home care services, and adjusting newer tools like telephone and emails in ambulatory care settings.

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