Ambulatory care describes outpatient medical services. You do not check into a hospital to stay overnight, as you do for inpatient care. Instead, you receive your treatment without being admitted for an overnight stay. If your physician has recommended ambulatory care, you should understand what that means for your procedure and recovery.
Outpatient procedures can still be serious, they just don’t require an overnight stay. For instance, you can undergo surgery as an outpatient and not spend a night at the hospital, but your physician may still have concerns about your short- and long-term care.
Advantages of Outpatient Surgeries
Outpatient services can occur in a range of different settings, depending on the type of care you need. Ambulatory care typically costs less than inpatient care, as you don’t have to pay for an overnight bed, food or other services throughout the night, such as drawing blood or running an IV.
There are other advantages to outpatient care. When you recover at home, you may feel more comfortable than when you’re at the hospital. That’s because staying somewhere away from home can make it hard to relax. Hospitals are often noisy, so you could have trouble sleeping too. You need rest to aid your recovery, and hospitals aren’t the best place for that.
Ambulatory Care Delivery Models
There are many different types of ambulatory care settings. Some of the most common include:
- Physician’s offices
- Ambulatory surgery centers
- Outpatient departments at hospitals
All these places have medical staff who understand patients’ unique needs. Ambulatory facilities also leverage technology to provide the best care and have unique designs focused on efficiency.
For example, a physician’s office may be used for performing outpatient surgeries and seeing patients for regular appointments. The office could be divided into separate places to provide this care, keeping patients apart as they receive very different attention. Such a setup makes it easier for staff to stay within their care area and allows them to focus on more severe cases in the outpatient area without worrying about the other part of the practice.
Examples of Ambulatory Care
Anything a medical worker can perform on an outpatient basis falls under ambulatory care. This encompasses a diverse range of tasks. Many are simple, such as drawing blood, performing a facet injection or getting a CT scan.
However, ambulatory care also includes more complicated procedures that require recovery time later, such as surgery. Many of the surgeries performed by OrthoBethesda are offered on an outpatient basis, such as arthroscopic knee surgery or tennis elbow surgery. Radiation treatments and chemotherapy are also outpatient services.
Schedule an Appointment at OrthoBethesda
You may find many types of ambulatory care settings where you can receive the medical attention you need. If you need orthopedic care, OrthoBethesda can help. Get in touch with us today or schedule your appointment online.