Maintained/created by: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ahcd.htm
Geographic unit of data: U.S. national
Keywords: age, ambulance, ambulatory health care data, ambulatory services, CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic conditions, diagnostic services, doctor's office, duration of visit, emergency department, ethnicity, hospital, insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, outpatient, patient characteristics, physician office, physician specialty, Prenatal, prescription drugs, private health insurance, race, SCHIP, sex, State Childrens Health Insurance Program, therapeutic services, trends
Abstract:
Background
Users can download full data sets or tables, charts and graphs on information related to physician office visits and hospital visits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts two surveys to gather ambulatory health care data. The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) gathers data from physician office visits, while the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) gathers data from visits to hospitals, specifically the outpatient and emergency departments. The data collected serves to gain information on the patients that go to doctors office or hospitals, their conditions and the specific diagnostic and therapeutic services used.
Data Notes
Users can view and download tables, charts and graphics on physician office visit data, outpatient department visit data, emergency department visit data and ambulatory care data from Health. Users can also download full data sets and more information about the surveys. NAMCS was conducted annually from 1973-1981 and since 1989, and it was conducted in 1985. NHAMCS has been conducted annually since 1992. The most recent data from both surveys is from 2008, and the site does not specify when the 2009 data will become available. Users can download full data sets or tables, charts and graphs on information related to physician office visits and hospital visit.