Ambulatory care refers to diagnostic, preventative, and treatment services people receive in a facility and depart within the same day. This facility can be freestanding or connected to another medical practice, most commonly a hospital.

Ambulatory care has evolved along with other parts of the medical industry to provide more efficient and less costly treatments. Read on to learn about different care models and services you can get in these facilities.

Different Types of Ambulatory Care Facilities

Ambulatory care is also known as outpatient care, as people typically receive services there but depart on the same day instead of staying. Here are the most common types.

Primary Care 

Visiting a doctor’s office is the most common contact with the medical industry for most people. In the primary care facility, doctors can run tests, make diagnoses, prescribe medications and treatments, and offer advice. They can also refer you to further analyses or an inpatient facility if needed.

This type of medical care has been on the rise, and with technology and other improvements, doctors are now able to perform more procedures in an office setting.

Urgent Care

Urgent care centers can be freestanding or a part of a larger healthcare system. These facilities admit people who have an illness or injury that doesn’t appear to be life-threatening but still requires immediate care. That could be something minor like cuts, ankle strains, moderate asthma, or other conditions impairing your ability to do ordinary daily activities.

Mobile Care

Many low-income areas have converted buses that offer mobile care services. These are usually funded by charitable programs and provide necessary care to the less fortunate. This innovative model can provide essential services to vulnerable populations and improve their relationship with the healthcare system.

Convenient Care

Convenient care is typically offered in retail clinics located in supermarkets, pharmacies, and retail stores. There, people can walk in and get diagnosis and treatment for minor illnesses that don’t require special care.

Work-Based Clinics

Although work-based clinics have been around for a long time, their popularity has increased in the last decade. Companies started to realize the benefits of having available care, which goes beyond manufacturing facilities where accidents can happen.

Tech companies and Silicon Valley startups saw the potential of work-based clinics, as it improves the overall health of their employees. The same goes for college campuses where students can get adequate care on the spot.

What Services Are Available in Ambulatory Care?

Ambulatory care facilities offer diagnostic, preventative, treatment, and follow-up services. That includes:

• Blood tests
• Colonoscopy
• X-rays
• Ultrasound imaging
• Chemotherapy
• Biopsies
• Mammograms
• Minor surgical procedures such as arthroscopy
• Physical therapy
• Mental health services

This is only a tiny portion of all ambulatory care services, as the comprehensive list would be too long.

Need Help With Your Ambulatory Care Facility?

If your ambulatory care facility needs help in the organizational and financial department, Peregrine Healthcare can help. We offer a range of services that allow medical practices to commit to their patients while we take care of non-medical stuff. That includes improving your efficiency and increasing revenue. Click here to learn more about our services.