Key Difference Between Ambulatory Care And Inpatient Hospital

There are a several key differences between an ambulatory care facility and an inpatient hospital. Ambulatory care facilities consist of physician offices, walk in clinics, health departments, urgent care centers or a facility that provides medical treatment to patients who do not require an overnight stay (Gartee, 2011). Whereas an inpatient facility treats patients who require services longer than 24 hours but generally do not exceed 30 days and these facilities often are hospitals that provide inpatient stays. However, as the cost of healthcare continues to rise, the need for more affordable healthcare services has increased. The cost difference between an ambulatory walk in clinic/urgent care and an inpatient hospital stay has help drive a shift in how medical services are
In 2012, the private equity investment of ambulatory care services topped four billion dollars (The Big Business of Ambulatory Care, 2013). The shift is largely due to the difference between ambulatory and inpatient hospital fee for service, regulations, access and patient satisfaction. Although, most walk in clinics provide limited services and focus on 1 or 2 NHS Direct decision protocols they offer the patient convince, lower cost, and appeal to lower end users (Chachua-Mannie, 2014). In addition, the staff model is different between an ambulatory walk in clinic and an inpatient hospital facility. The walk in clinic often staffs a mix of nurses (MA and LPN) and the chief provider for medical treatment are NP’s whereas in a hospital setting one will find more LPN and RN’s with the chief provider a physician (Burns, David &